The Park

Have you ever noticed that everyone, even the stars, has a voice—a reason to speak, to act, and to be heard? On September 23rd, Buena Park High School hosted and filmed the first “At The Park” episode for BPTV’s live studio audience broadcast, in the school’s Performing Arts Center. The night’s focus revolved around ‘having a voice’, and featured five inspirational speakers who shared their experiences and stories with students at Buena Park High School.

The five guests who visited and spoke “At the Park” were Sunny Lukas, Rene Roberts, Logan Kishi, Christopher Michael Cagle, and Manny Pacheco. Each one of these speakers shared sage words and advice to impart with the younger student audience within the crowd.

Kicking off the night, Sunny Lukas performed four of his songs for the audience, an electric show with passion and lively energy. Sunny is a Chinese pop artist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He danced along on stage and among the crowd to his song Deja Vu, and even shared an unreleased song to give the audience a sneak peek of his upcoming music. After his performance, he gave students from the High school and Middle school students a chance to learn more about his profession and personal experiences, accepting their questions. One student had the opportunity to ask him to share a moment where something didn’t go as planned and how he handled that situation. Sunny responded by saying, “You have to give it all you got, the worst thing you can do is hold back.” He elaborated by explaining that when the music starts, he focuses on getting in character and overcoming the challenge.

Our second star speaker of the night, Rene Roberts, provided a very heart-touching and inspirational message. She shared the obstacles she overcame and her accomplishments throughout her lifetime, making it clear that she can do what any other person can do. When she was being asked about how cerebral palsy has affected her, she answers, “There’s nothing wrong with me; pay attention to me. I have something to offer.” Roberts shared there are no nice words to describe disability; she believes that people fall victim to the restriction that they are born with, but that shouldn't stop anyone from being a Champion. A Champion to her is someone who isn't sitting around dwelling on a victim mentality, which she has shown by being a 16-time sprint distance athlete and being a part of a dragon boat racing team that she still competes in to this day. When asking her about her opinion on how young women should view themselves if they want to attain a similar level of success, she said she wants every young woman to look in the mirror and be able to say “I got it.” She aspires for teenagers and people who have fallen to a victim mentality to push to do what they want in life.

The other 3 inspiring speakers also brought their own experiences to the event. Logan Kishi spoke about his work in Hotel Transylvania and pushing past all the obstacles in his career, to continue his life behind the camera. He loved hearing everyone's opinions and student questions backstage with BP’s Video Production and Journalism. Christopher Michael Cagle discussed his career in television and film. He elaborated on how he wants to break the typical "producer" aspect of movies by having a good connection with people. Manny Pacheco, a media broadcaster and journalist, shared his experience covering Hollywood history and entertainment, through his new book, The Blog.

This event showed students how people can use their experiences and talents to inspire others, knowing the power of their voice. “At The Park” combined real stories, entertainment, and creativity while giving the audience a chance to learn from people with different backgrounds. Buena Park High School and its programs appreciate the five speakers who came to speak and impart their valuable knowledge and solidify the importance of this next generation’s voice.

## How Much Does Nonprofit Marketing Cost in Orange County?

If you’re leading a nonprofit in Orange County, one of the most common questions you’ll face is:

**“How much should we actually budget for marketing?”**

The short answer: most nonprofits in Orange County invest **$500–$5,000 per month** depending on their size, goals, and fundraising maturity.

The better answer? It depends on _what you want marketing to accomplish._

In this guide, we’ll break down real local expectations, pricing tiers, what drives results, and how to choose the right strategy for your organization.

## Quick Answer: Typical Nonprofit Marketing Costs in Orange County

Here’s a realistic snapshot of nonprofit marketing investment levels across Orange County organizations:

| Organization Size | Monthly Marketing Budget | Typical Focus | | --- | --- | --- | | Small volunteer-led nonprofit | $300–$1,000 | Social media + email | | Growing nonprofit | $1,000–$2,500 | Website + campaigns | | Established nonprofit | $2,500–$5,000 | Fundraising funnels | | Large regional nonprofit | $5,000–$15,000+ | Integrated strategy |

Most organizations start smaller and scale once marketing begins generating measurable donations, volunteers, or sponsorship support.

## What Determines Nonprofit Marketing Cost?

Marketing cost isn’t random. It’s driven by five core factors:

### 1\. Website Strength

If your website doesn’t clearly explain your mission in under 10 seconds, marketing becomes more expensive.

Typical investment:

**$1,500–$6,000 (one-time rebuild)**

Strong nonprofit websites improve:

- donation conversions - volunteer signups - sponsorship interest - grant credibility

### 2\. Social Media Management

Consistent posting builds visibility and trust across Orange County communities.

Typical investment:

**$400–$1,500 per month**

Includes:

- post creation - captions - scheduling - community engagement - campaign storytelling

### 3\. Email Marketing

Email remains the **highest ROI nonprofit marketing channel available.**

Typical investment:

**$200–$800 per month**

Includes:

- donor newsletters - campaign announcements - volunteer recruitment - event promotion

Organizations that email consistently often raise **2–4× more annually** than those that don’t.

### 4\. Paid Advertising (Google Grant + Local Ads)

Many nonprofits qualify for the Google Ad Grant.

Typical investment:

**$300–$1,200 per month management**

This unlocks:

- search visibility - donation landing pages - volunteer traffic - event registrations

### 5\. Campaign Strategy & Storytelling

This is where real fundraising growth happens.

Typical investment:

**$1,000–$3,500 per month**

Strategy connects:

mission → audience → message → action

Without this step, marketing becomes activity instead of progress.

## What Orange County Nonprofits Often Overspend On

Many organizations accidentally invest in the wrong priorities first.

Common mistakes include:

- paying for ads before improving their website - posting on social media without a campaign plan - hiring designers before clarifying messaging - running events without follow‑up email systems

Smart marketing focuses on **building a supporter journey**, not just visibility.

## A Simple Starter Budget That Works

If your nonprofit is just beginning structured marketing, this is a strong Orange County baseline:

| | | | --- | --- | | Channel | Monthly Investment | | Website improvements | $250–$500 | | Social media | $400–$800 | | Email marketing | $150–$400 | | Campaign strategy | $500–$1,000 |

**Estimated total:**

$1,200–$2,500/month

This level typically supports:

- donor growth - volunteer awareness - sponsor visibility - event attendance

## How Much Should Nonprofits Spend on Marketing Overall?

National benchmarks recommend:

**5%–15% of annual revenue invested into marketing and communications.**

Example:

| | | | --- | --- | | Annual Budget | Recommended Marketing Investment | | $100,000 nonprofit | $5,000–$15,000 | | $250,000 nonprofit | $12,500–$37,500 | | $1M nonprofit | $50,000–$150,000 |

Organizations investing consistently tend to grow faster, retain donors longer, and qualify for more grants.

## The Orange County Advantage (and Challenge)

Nonprofits in Orange County operate inside one of the most opportunity‑rich—but competitive—regions in California.

Advantages include:

- strong donor base - corporate sponsorship access - community foundations - active chambers of commerce - civic partnerships

Challenges include:

- high visibility expectations - crowded fundraising calendar - competing causes - digital attention competition

Strategic marketing helps your organization stand out without increasing workload on staff.

## When Should a Nonprofit Hire a Marketing Partner?

It’s usually time when:

- your board asks for growth - donations plateau - events feel harder to fill - volunteers are inconsistent - your website feels outdated

A structured strategy often reduces stress while increasing impact.

## What a Smart Orange County Nonprofit Marketing Plan Includes

A strong plan typically combines:

- website clarity improvements - monthly storytelling content - donor email journeys - sponsor visibility support - campaign landing pages - Google Grant activation

Together, these create predictable engagement.

## Frequently Asked Questions

We believe in transparency. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we get about our services, process, and pricing.

We're The Right Fit892-5617)

How much should a small nonprofit spend on marketing?

Most small nonprofits invest between **$500 and $2,000 per month** depending on staffing and fundraising goals.

Is nonprofit marketing tax‑deductible?

Yes. Marketing is considered a legitimate program-support or administrative expense depending on its purpose.

Can nonprofits get free advertising?

Yes. The Google Ad Grant provides up to **$10,000/month in search advertising** for eligible organizations.

Is social media enough for nonprofit marketing?

No. Social media supports visibility, but email and websites drive donations.

What Makes Marketing Work for Orange County Nonprofits

Successful organizations treat marketing as **community relationship building**, not promotion.

That means:

- telling real stories - showing measurable impact - making involvement simple - staying consistent month‑to‑month

When those pieces align, marketing begins supporting fundraising instead of competing with it.

Get a Free Community Signal Audit™

If you’re unsure what your nonprofit should invest right now, the best first step is a structured visibility review.

Culture‑Fluent offers a **free Community Signal Audit™** that evaluates:

- your website clarity - donor journey strength - search visibility - email readiness - sponsorship positioning

Organizations typically leave with a clear roadmap for growth—even if they’re not ready to hire an agency yet.

👉 Request your audit and discover where your next supporters are most likely to come from.

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness PresentationSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park community safety"

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# How AI Can Free Up More Time for Strategic Thinking and Leadership

If you’ve been running a business for decades, you know that time is your most valuable—and often most limited—resource. It’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of operational tasks: answering routine emails, processing orders, scheduling appointments, tracking inventory, and pulling reports. These activities keep the wheels turning, but they also pull your attention away from the high-level thinking that grows a business.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing that equation. By taking over repetitive, low-value tasks, AI can give you back the hours you need for strategic thinking, visionary planning, and leading your team into the future.

## The Problem: Stuck in the Daily Grind

Many seasoned business owners find themselves buried in operations because they know their systems inside and out. The catch? The more you handle the “busy work,” the less time you have for the leadership activities that really move the needle—like identifying new market opportunities, developing partnerships, or mentoring rising talent in your company.

Even if you delegate, there’s often a learning curve or a risk of mistakes that can make you feel it’s easier to “just do it yourself.” That’s where AI steps in—not as a replacement for your expertise, but as a tool to lighten your operational load.

## The Solution: Let AI Handle the Repetitive Stuff

AI excels at automating tasks that follow clear rules or patterns. Imagine:

- **Inbox Management:** AI can sort, prioritize, and even draft responses for routine inquiries, leaving you with only the high-priority messages to address.

- **Scheduling & Coordination:** Tools can automatically book appointments, send reminders, and reschedule meetings without a single email chain.

- **Data Entry & Reporting:** AI can pull reports, update CRM records, or compile monthly sales summaries—without you touching a spreadsheet.

- **Customer Support:** Chatbots and virtual assistants can handle FAQs, order tracking, and basic troubleshooting 24/7.

This doesn’t just save time—it also reduces decision fatigue, so you have more mental energy for complex challenges.

## The Payoff: Space for Leadership

When you reclaim hours from operational tasks, you open up space for the kind of work only you can do:

- **Strategic Planning:** Reviewing long-term trends and positioning your business for what’s coming, not just what’s now.

- **Relationship Building:** Meeting with key clients, partners, or community leaders to strengthen connections.

- **Innovation:** Exploring new products, services, or business models without the constant pull of daily fires.

- **Team Development:** Mentoring staff, sharing your industry wisdom, and fostering leadership in others.

Your role shifts from “chief problem-solver” to “chief visionary.”

## Making the Shift Without Overwhelm

If AI feels intimidating, start small. Pick one task that eats up your time but doesn’t require your personal touch, and test an AI solution for it. The goal isn’t to replace your team—or yourself—but to clear the mental clutter so you can focus on steering the ship.

Remember, your decades of experience are your business’s greatest asset. AI simply gives you the breathing room to use that experience where it matters most: leading with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

### So knowing the benefits of AI is one thing, but actually making the switch and reaping those rewards is another. But don't worry, we're here to help.

### I'm Ken, and I've been where you are.

I understand the struggle of keeping up withe a younger workforce and then I even had to learn AI?

That’s why I started working with Culture-Fluent. They took care of helping me keep up with the new tools available to all of us. With decades of experience in municipal broadcast and nonprofit storytelling, I can finally make space for building brand narratives that are as strategic as they are heartfelt.

#### Want to see how we can transform your work life?

15-min Free Consultation892-5617)

## Benefits You Can Expect

### We Turn Complexity into Clarity

Just like AI streamlines repetitive tasks, Culture-Fluent takes the overwhelm out of marketing, branding, and communications. We help you see the big picture, prioritize what matters, and focus your energy on leading—while we handle the execution details.

### We Preserve Your Voice While Scaling Your Reach

The article talks about AI preserving time for leadership. We do the same for your brand voice—making sure your unique experience and story stay intact while we amplify your message through modern, effective strategies.

### We Bridge Traditional Business Wisdom with Modern Tools

Our specialty is translating decades of real-world business insight into campaigns and systems that work in today’s digital landscape. You bring the vision; we bring the tools, technology, and execution to make it happen—without adding more to your plate.

## Testimonials

Jordan P. __ __ __ __ __

"Culture-Fluent took the stress out of marketing for us. They understood our vision right away and turned it into campaigns that worked—without me having to micromanage a thing."

Kevin S __ __ __ __ __

"They made modern marketing feel simple. Culture-Fluent bridged our traditional business experience with tools and strategies that actually fit the way we work."

Beverly K. __ __ __ __ __

"Working with Culture-Fluent felt like gaining a partner who genuinely cared about our success. They protected our brand voice while helping us reach audiences we never thought possible."

Jordan P. __ __ __ __ __

"Culture-Fluent took the stress out of marketing for us. They understood our vision right away and turned it into campaigns that worked—without me having to micromanage a thing."

Kevin S __ __ __ __ __

"They made modern marketing feel simple. Culture-Fluent bridged our traditional business experience with tools and strategies that actually fit the way we work."

## What You Get With 15-min Consultation

### Clarity on Next Steps

Identify one or two immediate actions that will make the biggest impact on your marketing or outreach.

### Fresh Perspective

Gain an outside, experienced viewpoint on your current challenges and opportunities.

### Quick Wins

Learn at least one easy-to-implement idea you can use right away to improve results.

### Customized Insight

Receive suggestions tailored to your specific industry, audience, and goals—not cookie-cutter advice.

### Brand Voice Check

Get feedback on whether your messaging matches your brand’s personality and values.

### Priority Focus

Pinpoint where to spend your time and budget for the best return.

### Tech Translation

Understand how modern tools (including AI) could work for your business without getting lost in jargon.

### Confidence Boost

Walk away feeling reassured about your next move, even if the path ahead feels overwhelming now.

### Relationship Building

Start a connection with a partner who understands both traditional business wisdom and modern marketing strategies.

## We Don’t Just Advertise.

## We Translate Culture into Connection.

Work With Culture-Fluent892-5617)

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A new reading trail featuring seven hand-painted Little Free Library boxes now lines the walking path between the Ehlers Event Center and the Buena Park Library District. On a typical Tuesday afternoon, the shelves of these compact community hubs are rarely left full for long as local residents stop by to browse and borrow books.

The initiative began last spring with a single book cabinet installed outside a barbershop on Beach Boulevard. To reflect a city where more than half of all households speak a language other than English at home, volunteers stocked the initial cabinet with donated paperbacks in English, Spanish, and Korean. Over the summer, neighborhood residents expanded the project by adding six more boxes, which were decorated by Buena Park High School art students and are now maintained by families living within a block of each site.

Daily operation of the trail relies on dedicated oversight from assigned stewards for each location. These volunteer stewards inspect their respective shelves twice a week to remove worn or damaged volumes and ensure children’s picture books remain arranged at eye level for young readers. Stewards also exchange inventory among themselves to balance age groups and languages across the trail, an effort that included transferring a batch of bilingual early-reader books to the box near the middle school in July.

For a city often defined by its highway corridors and theme park attractions, the reading trail illustrates how local literacy and community engagement can flourish through small, everyday interactions along neighborhood sidewalks. Residents interested in donating books or volunteering as box stewards can reach the volunteer team through the Buena Park Library District’s community desk.

This test article verifies the Culture-Fluent queue end to end. Buena Park residents share neighborhood stories through the Culture-Fluent desk, and this submission confirms a pitch lands as a pending draft, can be approved by an editor, and then appears in the Culture-Fluent section.

## Buena Park Honors FIT Committee for 10 Years of Building a Healthier Community

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — August 11, 2026** — The City of Buena Park recognized the **Buena Park FIT Committee** during the August 11 City Council meeting, celebrating a decade of resident-led efforts to improve health, nutrition, physical activity, and quality of life throughout the community.

Buena Park City Councilmember **Carlos Franco** joins members of the **Buena Park FIT Committee** at City Hall as the City recognizes the committee’s **10th anniversary of service** on August 11, 2026. For a decade, volunteer members have worked alongside the City and community partners to promote healthier living through nutrition education, physical activity, community gardening, improved mobility, and resident-led wellness initiatives throughout Buena Park.

What began in 2016 as residents and parents advocating for healthier opportunities for local families has grown into ten years of programs and projects touching schools, parks, neighborhoods, and generations of Buena Park residents.

The FIT Committee’s mission has centered on improving health and wellness through community leadership and action. Over the past decade, members have promoted physical activity, healthier nutrition, community gardening, walking and bicycling, improved connections between homes and schools, public transit use, and anti-smoking initiatives.

But behind those programs is a story of residents who saw needs in their own families and neighborhoods—and decided to do something about them.

Founding member **Norma Guillermo** traces her involvement back to volunteering in local schools and recognizing that children’s nutrition and limited opportunities for physical activity were directly connected to their ability to thrive.

_“We started as volunteers in our schools because we saw what our own children needed,”_ Guillermo said. _“We understood that a well-nourished child who has opportunities to be physically active is better prepared to learn. We advocated for more physical education and healthier habits, and today it’s rewarding to see students succeeding academically while also discovering a love for sports and exercise.”_

For Guillermo, some of the committee’s accomplishments became deeply personal.

Her own children participated in track activities, inspiring her advocacy for greater opportunities for residents to walk and run. That work helped support the development of the walking track at **Whitaker Park**, an amenity now enjoyed by children, families, and older adults.

_“My son loved to run, and seeing families use that track today makes me incredibly happy,”_ Guillermo said. _“Sometimes ideas can seem ambitious when you first bring them forward. Years later, you see children and seniors enjoying something that began as an idea, and you realize those ideas really did make a difference.”_

She also saw the impact of early nutrition education at home. Her son Jaffet participated in nutrition classes as a child at Whitaker Elementary and developed an understanding of calories, exercise, and healthy habits that has followed him into adulthood.

Councilmember **Carlos Franco** said stories like Guillermo’s illustrate why resident participation matters in local government.

_“The FIT Committee is a perfect example of what can happen when residents don’t wait for someone else to solve a problem,”_ Franco said. _“Parents saw needs affecting their children, brought forward ideas and then stayed involved long enough to see those ideas become programs, gardens and places where people can be active. Ten years later, we’re not simply recognizing a committee. We’re recognizing residents who kept showing up and helped change Buena Park for the better.”_

That same philosophy can be seen in the committee’s support for community gardening.

Founding member **Ana Lilia Castro** has helped create opportunities for residents to learn how to grow seasonal vegetables—even when they have only a small amount of space available at home.

The **Community Garden** has also become a place for college students to complete community service hours and for residents to learn from one another.

_“The garden is more than a place where we grow vegetables,”_ Castro said. _“It’s a place where people learn, serve and build community. Residents can discover how much they can grow even in a small space, and students have a place to give back through community service. When you see different generations learning and working together, you understand why keeping these spaces available matters.”_

Castro acknowledged that maintaining a community initiative for years is not always easy. At times, health challenges made her consider stepping away, but seeing families and community groups continue to benefit from the garden reinforced her commitment.

She credited fellow community leader **Mrs. Jiménez**, their families, and numerous community partners with helping sustain the effort.

Current support has included **Providence St. Jude** through its **Move More Eat Healthy** program and the **Cool OC Green Cities** program, while past supporters have included **St. Joseph** and **America On Track**.

Castro also credited the Buena Park FIT Committee for providing both physical space for community initiatives and a public forum where residents can continue bringing forward comments and ideas during the committee’s monthly meetings.

The stories of Guillermo and Castro reflect a larger legacy created by volunteers over the committee’s first decade.

A conversation about childhood nutrition can become healthier school practices.

A child who loves running can inspire a place where generations exercise.

A garden can become a classroom.

And an idea brought to a monthly community meeting can eventually become something thousands of residents enjoy.

For ten years, FIT Committee members have contributed their time, energy, and ideas toward making Buena Park a healthier place to live, work, learn, and raise a family.

The August 11 City Council recognition honored those years of service—but it also celebrated something harder to measure: what happens when residents believe they can shape the community around them.

As Franco reflected, _“The best ideas for a city don’t always begin at City Hall. Sometimes they begin with a parent, a teacher, a volunteer or a neighbor who simply asks, ‘How can we make this better?’ The FIT Committee spent ten years helping answer that question.”_

## About the Buena Park FIT Committee

The Buena Park FIT Committee is composed of volunteer community leaders committed to improving health and wellness throughout Buena Park. Since 2016, the committee has worked alongside City departments and community partners to encourage healthy nutrition, physical activity, community gardening, walking and bicycling, greater mobility, and other initiatives that contribute to a healthier community.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Carlos Franco Installed as President of the Buena Park Rotary ClubJuly 21, 2026In "Buena Park community leaders"

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BUENA PARK, Calif. — Students from Buena Park High School unveiled a 40-foot mural along Beach Boulevard this week, painted over six Saturdays with the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. The mural traces the city's history from ranchland to a arts corridor. City leaders said the project shows what happens when young artists get paid studio time.

## Buena Park High School FFA Earns Grand Champion Honors at the 2026 OC Fair

**COSTA MESA, Calif. — July 2026** — Months of early mornings, hard work, and unwavering commitment culminated in an unforgettable finish as students from the **Buena Park High School FFA** chapter earned top honors during the **2026 Orange County Fair**, bringing home multiple championships while demonstrating the dedication that defines agricultural education.

Members of the **Buena Park High School FFA Chapter** celebrate an exceptional showing at the **2026 Orange County Fair**, bringing home **Grand Champion Market Beef, Grand Champion Market Lamb, Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb, and Reserve Grand Champion** **Pen of Market Broilers** honors. Their success reflects months of dedication, teamwork, and hands-on agricultural education under the guidance of Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor **Paulina Cortez**, showcasing the chapter’s commitment to excellence both in and out of the show ring.

**Photo Credit:** Buena Park High School FFA

Competing against exhibitors from across Southern California, Buena Park FFA students showcased an impressive collection of livestock, including **one steer, twelve market lambs, seven goats, fifteen market hogs, twelve rabbits, and numerous poultry projects**.

Their efforts were rewarded with some of the fair’s highest recognitions:

- **Grand Champion Market Beef** - **Grand Champion Market Lamb** - **Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb** - **Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Market Broilers**

Behind every championship ribbon were months of preparation, discipline, and teamwork.

Throughout the spring livestock season, students dedicated themselves to daily feeding schedules, conditioning workouts, showmanship practices, morning runs, and countless hours caring for their animals. While the banners and buckles represent excellence in the show ring, educators say the greatest accomplishments happened long before judging day.

For **Paulina Cortez**, Buena Park High School Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor, the season was about much more than raising award-winning livestock.

_“At the beginning of the season, I told my students I would work as hard as they were willing to work,”_ said Cortez. _“They chose to give everything they had. Together we built more than successful livestock projects—we built discipline, consistency, resilience, and a team that genuinely cared about one another. The championships are exciting, but what makes me proudest is watching these students grow into responsible, hardworking young adults who know how to show up every day, support one another, and never stop improving. Those are lessons that will stay with them long after the fair is over.”_

Throughout the season, students encouraged one another through every challenge—from early morning workouts to late-night barn checks—creating a culture where success was measured not only by ribbons but by personal growth.

Among those celebrating was **Gavin Sanchez**, who described exhibiting livestock at the OC Fair as one of the most meaningful experiences of his life.

_“Showing my animal at the OC Fair was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,”_ said Sanchez. _“It wasn’t just about competing—it was about everything that led up to it. I met so many people who share the same passion for agriculture, learned from incredible mentors, and became part of a community that pushes each other to be better. The friendships, lessons, and memories I made are something I’ll carry with me forever.”_

Agricultural education programs like Buena Park FFA combine classroom instruction with hands-on learning, teaching students animal science, leadership, responsibility, public speaking, financial management, and teamwork.

Those lessons were evident throughout the fairgrounds as Buena Park students supported one another in and out of the show ring, celebrating each other’s victories as enthusiastically as their own.

The chapter’s success was also made possible through the continued support of families, volunteers, buyers, alumni, community partners, and local businesses whose investment helps provide opportunities for students to participate in agricultural education.

As the 2026 OC Fair came to a close, the ribbons and banners represented more than championship livestock.

They represented months of perseverance.

They represented young people discovering what they are capable of through discipline and commitment.

And they represented a program that continues to grow tomorrow’s leaders—one student, one project, and one lesson at a time.

## About Buena Park High School FFA

The Buena Park High School FFA Chapter prepares students for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Combining classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experiences, and leadership development, FFA equips students with practical skills, responsibility, and confidence that extend far beyond the classroom.

## About the Orange County Fair

The Orange County Fair is one of California’s premier annual events, celebrating agriculture, education, youth leadership, entertainment, and community. Each year, thousands of FFA and 4-H students participate in livestock exhibitions that showcase months of dedication while promoting agricultural literacy and excellence.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

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#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

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Buena Park City Councilmember, Carlos Franco, getting ready for the Culture Fest Parade.

The members of the Buena Park Cultural Engagement Commission are in the parade!

Downtown Buena Park gained a vibrant new addition this week as students from Buena Park High School officially unveiled a culture-fluent mural celebrating the city's rich diversity. The new public artwork highlights the contributions and heritage of the community's Korean, Latino, and Filipino populations, adding color and meaning to the downtown district.

The project was a labor of love for local youth, featuring several panels painted over the course of six weekends. A dedicated group of two dozen volunteers came together to execute the design, donating their weekends to bring the collaborative artistic vision to life for the entire city to enjoy.

The newly completed mural now stands as a lasting tribute to the multicultural roots that define Buena Park. Downtown visitors and residents are encouraged to stop by the site to view the artwork, which serves as a point of local pride and a celebration of student creativity.

**Buena Park Rotary Presentation Highlights Educational Innovations and Infrastructure Projects**

At a recent Buena Park Rotary meeting, local education leaders outlined ongoing efforts to transform the city's public school district and expand opportunities for students.

During her presentation, Dr. Lee shared that she accepted her position with the goal of challenging established systems to create new possibilities for Buena Park students. Working alongside Principal Jay, Dr. Lee has utilized non-traditional approaches to revitalize district operations and academic programs.

The presentation emphasized that numerous new initiatives are currently underway across Buena Park schools. Among the physical upgrades highlighted is the installation of a new track and field facility at the middle school.

Election season is underway in Buena Park as Councilmember Carlos Franco and Congressman Derek Tran hit the campaign trail ahead of the November 3, 2026 General Election.

Franco is campaigning for re-election to Buena Park City Council District 2, highlighting priorities such as clean and safe streets, stronger local businesses, improved infrastructure, and responsive city government.

Tran is seeking re-election to represent California’s 45th Congressional District, which includes Buena Park. After winning the closely contested district in 2024, Tran is again campaigning throughout the community, with affordability and issues affecting working families among the major themes of the race.

With both local and congressional seats on the ballot, Buena Park voters will have an important voice in shaping their representation at City Hall and in Washington, D.C., on November 3, 2026.

# The gold rush is back in California's Inland Empire

## In San Bernardino County, gold and silver mining companies are pushing to expand

An aerial view of Calico Ghost Town, a historic silver mining camp that was restored by the founder of Knott’s Berry Farm, seen on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

By Erin Rode, Contributing LA Outdoors EditorFeb 21, 2026

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# The gold rush is back in California's Inland Empire The gold rush is back in California's Inland Empire

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Calico Ghost Town Regional Park certainly did not feel like a ghost town last weekend. The line just to pay entrance fees at the San Bernardino County-managed attraction was at least a dozen cars deep, and neon-vested parking attendants tried to quell the sudden rush of traffic at the remote park as a shuttle ferried visitors from far-flung corners of the dirt parking lot to the town’s entrance. Once inside, visitors had their pick of a jam-packed schedule of events that included live bands, historical reenactments, pony rides and gun-draw competitions. Cold beers were poured at Lil’s Saloon at a nearly proportional rate to the number of parents buying prop guns for their kids as souvenirs.

Thousands of people descended on the tiny ghost town north of Barstow last weekend for the fifth annual Calico California Days, an event advertised as a celebration of California’s early history. Visitors stepped back in time, panning for fake gold nuggets and touring long-abandoned mining tunnels. Performers in 19th century garb played banjos and staged gunfights. But while the event offered a glimpse of California’s past, the giant mining corporations that sponsored the festivities are already hard at work excavating the region’s future.

The two-day Calico Ghost Town event was sponsored by three mining companies, including two that are actively seeking to expand their operations in San Bernardino County. Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, which operates a cement plant in Lucerne Valley along the edge of San Bernardino National Forest, provided a lump-sum payment of $2,500 to help defray the costs of the event, according to sponsorship agreements reviewed by SFGATE. So did Equinox Gold’s Castle Mountain project, which is awaiting approval to quadruple its operations at a mine that’s surrounded by Castle Mountains National Monument, which itself is surrounded by the vast Mojave National Preserve.

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Apollo Silver, which is in the exploration and development phase of a silver mine project in the Calico area, provided $5,000 in sponsorship funding for the event. Apollo calls its Calico project “one of the largest undeveloped primary silver assets in the U.S.”

The payments act “as a way to provide opportunities to COUNTY’S businesses and to encourage a marketing environment targeting a niche audience,” states the sponsorship agreements.

The main street of Calico Ghost Town Regional Park, located north of Barstow in San Bernardino County, on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

One of many 19th century-styled buildings restored at the historic Calico Ghost Town.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

And at Calico California Days, the companies received about as niche an audience as they could imagine: Southern Californians, including some who could be directly affected by an influx of new mining operations in this pocket of the state, seeking a fresh dose of nostalgia for the Gold Rush era.

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## ‘Calico lives again’

Spanning over 20,000 square miles of suburbs, exurbs, mountains and deserts, San Bernardino County is the largest county in the entire contiguous United States. The region’s diverse landscape has long translated into plenty of opportunities for mining companies looking to turn a profit.

“No portion of California has more diversified mineral wealth than the County of San Bernardino… In its rugged mountains and desert \[expanse\], are found a wide range of geological formations from Paleozoic to Tertiary, and a great variety of rocks of igneous origin… The mines are scattered all over its thousands of square miles of territory, and have already added millions of dollars to the wealth of the State and the world,” California’s state mineralogist said over a century ago in 1893.

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There are still around 90 active mines in San Bernardino County, extracting everything from sand and gravel to salt, iron and gypsum. And just off Interstate 15 near the California-Nevada border sits the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine, the only operational rare earth mine in the country. After shuttering in the early 2000s, that facility restarted a few years ago amid the rush for critical minerals and now produces over 10% of the world’s rare earth supply, according to MP Materials.

Back in the 1880s, silver was king in San Bernardino County, and for a while, Calico was the epicenter of the region’s burgeoning mining industry. At one time, 70% of the state’s silver production came from the inland county, and 80% of that silver came from Calico specifically, where a town quickly popped up around the silver mine. Calico’s population grew to a couple of thousand people at its height, and the mine’s remote location, far from major population centers, led to the town establishing its own sheriff and courthouse. Like countless other California Gold Rush communities of that era, Calico quickly became a fully self-sufficient town in miniature, with stores, a cemetery and a schoolhouse.

A view of the hillsides surrounding Calico Ghost Town, a regional park managed by San Bernardino County that celebrates California’s early history, on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

A view of the hillsides surrounding Calico Ghost Town, a regional park managed by San Bernardino County that celebrates California’s early history, on Feb. 15, 2025.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

And like other mining boomtowns of that era, when the market shifted, the town just as quickly disappeared. In Calico, the boom was short, and the town’s population started declining alongside the silver market in the 1890s. The end of borax mining in 1907 officially transitioned Calico to its ghost town era.

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But unlike other Gold Rush ghost towns, Calico was carefully restored to its former glory with a theme park builder’s eye for detail. Walter Knott (of Knott’s Berry Farm) purchased Calico in the 1950s and then used old photographs to restore nearly all of the buildings to their 1880s-era appearance. The town was proclaimed “ California’s official Silver Rush Ghost Town” by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005.

“Calico lives again,” reads a sign, ominously, near the beginning of Calico’s main street today. The large stone slab notes that Walter Knott dedicated the town’s restoration “to the memory of the heroic silver miners who lived and toiled here.”

“The preservation of this singular California heritage is also dedicated to you, the visitor, as a constant source of learning and enjoyment,” states the sign.

## A new gold and silver rush

To hear Apollo Silver Corporation describe it, the Calico area’s peak mining era might still be ahead. Apollo’s Calico Project is located in the same historic Calico Silver Mining District that once housed the miners of Calico Ghost Town; the proposed project brings the two main silver properties in the area under the same ownership for the first time. An updated mineral resource estimate announced by Apollo last year found a combined total of over 180 million ounces of silver to be likely available. For comparison, only an estimated 15 million to 20 million ounces of silver was mined in Calico through 1896.

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A 20-mule team hauls ore from Borate through Mule Canyon (Calico) to Daggett circa the 1880s.

Courtesy of San Bernardino County

Calico silver ore processing at the Oro Grande stamp mill in 1883.

Courtesy of San Bernardino County

Apollo is hoping that the Trump administration’s decision to add silver to the U.S. Geological Survey’s List of Critical Minerals could give the project a boost, calling the action an “emergency alarm” and Calico “an irreplaceable first responder.”

“Calico has the potential to become a long-term strategic asset to the economic and military security of the United States, rather than simply a short-term trade story,” states a February post on Apollo’s website. The project also has another factor working in its favor, according to Apollo: its location in a “ mining-friendly” county.

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The mining industry was the star of the county’s most recent State of the County presentation in September, where officials and local high schoolers highlighted the recent mining reactivation and expansion boom. The county of just over 2 million people now has 6,974 jobs in the mining and natural resources sector, with a 10-year forecast employment growth rate of 10.2%.

“I’m proud to share that San Bernardino County is the largest mining county in California, with more than 90 active sites. Our county’s diverse mining industry is both an important and valued sector for our regional economy while also providing a highly competitive resource advantage to our nation,” San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Cook said in a recorded message during the annual event.

One of the mining efforts spotlighted by the county was Equinox Gold’s Castle Mountain project, a massive expansion of a gold mine surrounded by protected public lands that’s been opposed by environmental groups. The project is in the early stages of the environmental review process; a scoping report that gathered public comments was published in December, and the Bureau of Land Management and San Bernardino County are now working on a draft environmental review document. A final decision is expected later this year.

Calico Ghost Town Regional Park is managed by San Bernardino County and located north of Barstow, off Interstate 15.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

Old mining tunnels and related infrastructure are on view at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park north of Barstow, seen here on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

Equinox Gold wants to “effectively quadruple the annual mining rate from 18 to 80 million tons,” according to the scoping report, which would require 2,250 acre-feet per year of groundwater (an average California household uses between .5 and 1 acre-foot of water each year). Expanding the mine pits and installing a new water pipeline and power line would disturb an additional 1,800 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands beyond what the site has already impacted.

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The Bureau of Land Management and the county received over 2,000 individual submissions that raised concerns, via a form letter, about a litany of issues. Some worried about a proposed right-of-way through Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, while others highlighted negative impacts on Castle Mountains National Monument and Mojave National Preserve, increased traffic and pollution, threats to groundwater, and impacts on wildlife and vegetation.

“Overall, the sentiment among commenters was that the scale of the project is incompatible with the protection of outstanding visual, recreational, and ecological resources and is unacceptable,” the scoping report states.

These comments were not reflected in San Bernardino County’s own framing of the project in September (which predated the scoping document). At the State of the County event, one of the local high schoolers tasked with reading the prewritten presentation aloud said Castle Mountain mine “is expected to become the largest gold producer in California.”

“Upon approval, Castle Mountain will substantially increase its production while continuing its commitment to environmentally responsible mining practices. Increasing the mine’s production is important to support the domestic production of both gold and silver, especially since gold is a mineral designated as essential to national security, advancing technologies and developing infrastructure,” the teenage presenter said.

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Visitors line up for gold panning at Calico California Days at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

Old mining tunnels and related infrastructure are on view at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park north of Barstow, seen here on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

Chance Wilcox, California desert program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association, said in an emailed statement that “extensive energy development is already putting immense pressure on park ecosystems.”

“Right now, a proposed expansion of Castle Mountain Mine, led by Equinox Gold, is threatening to industrialize the landscape at the doorstep of Castle Mountains National Monument just next to Mojave National Preserve,” wrote Wilcox, who said that the industrial infrastructure and transmission lines could attract ravens, which predate on desert tortoises, and that the expansion’s groundwater use could impact fragile aquifers and springs.

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“National parks are not industrial mining zones, and it is our responsibility to protect our public lands and the beauty of the Mojave from irresponsible development,” Wilcox continued.

In an email to SFGATE, Aren Hall, environmental and permitting manager for Castle Mountain Mine, said Equinox Gold “takes seriously its commitment to responsible mining practices and transparent public comment and engagement.”

“Concerns raised during the public scoping period are being evaluated as part of the environmental review process. ... Public comments are crucial as they inform the EIS/EIR process by their incorporation into project alternatives, which are intended to further reduce project impacts,” Hall wrote.

The main street of Calico Ghost Town Regional Park, located north of Barstow in San Bernardino County, on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

Old mining tunnels and related infrastructure are on view at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park north of Barstow, seen here on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

And for Equinox, part of the public engagement process includes a front-row seat to Calico California Days, which the company has sponsored every year since its inception, Hall said. “These opportunities allow us to engage directly with the community, share factual project information, and listen to questions, comments, and concerns firsthand. This outreach complements the formal public scoping processes led by the Bureau of Land Management and San Bernardino County officials,” Hall wrote.

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“Most people don’t know that there’s still commercial-scale gold mining occurring \[in California\],” Hall added briefly when reached by phone. “So that’s an interesting conversation to have with folks.”

It’s unclear how many of the thousands of Calico visitors last weekend noticed the mining companies underwriting their old-timey revelry. The energy was rowdy last Sunday, with impromptu gunfights often breaking out among visitors (adults and children alike) eager to whip out their newly purchased props.

Yellow banners dotting the property listed the event’s three sponsors, who also had a dedicated space near the entrance of the event to set up tables, distribute materials and gain an audience among the crowd. In truth, that area was pretty quiet on Sunday afternoon, with most visitors seeming more interested in gunfighting, gold panning or beer chugging over learning about local mining endeavors.

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Pony rides at Calico California Days at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park, seen here on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

A staged gunfight at the Calico California Days event on Feb. 15, 2026.

Erin Rode/SFGATE

The gold panning station was in particularly high demand, with families lining up to sift through water for fake gold nuggets. But if they’d visited the present-day mining companies’ station, they could have pursued gold mining for real: Equinox was hiring.

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_For more SFGATE LA stories, subscribe to our new weekly_ _newsletter The Southland here_ _._

Feb 21, 2026

Erin Rode

Contributing LA Outdoors Editor

Erin Rode is SFGATE’s Contributing Los Angeles Outdoors Editor. Erin grew up in Los Angeles County and has hiked area trails for over a decade. She previously covered the environment for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs.

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## Hundreds Welcome Domo Cafe's First U.S. Location to Buena Park

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — June 2026** — Hundreds of eager visitors gathered at Buena Park Downtown Mall today as **Domo Cafe** celebrated the grand opening of its first location in the United States, marking a significant milestone for the internationally recognized brand and further strengthening Buena Park’s reputation as a destination for unique cultural experiences.

Long before the ribbon was cut, excitement had already filled the plaza. Guests lined up around the shopping center to be among the first to experience the highly anticipated cafe, inspired by the beloved Japanese character Domo. The grand opening ceremony was hosted by the **North Orange County Chamber of Commerce** and brought together community leaders, elected officials, business owners, and fans from throughout Southern California.

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The celebration featured remarks from **Domo brand representative Tanaka**, as well as cafe owners **Izzy Aala and Amy Aala**, whose vision helped bring the iconic brand’s first U.S. cafe experience to Buena Park.

Representatives from the offices of **Senator Tom Umberg** and **Senator Tony Strickland** joined **Buena Park Vice Mayor Lamiya Hoque**, **Councilmember Carlos Franco**, and **Councilmember Joyce Ahn** in commemorating the occasion during the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

For Buena Park City Councilmember Carlos Franco, the opening reflected the city’s growing role as a destination where culture, entrepreneurship, and community intersect.

_“One of the things that makes Buena Park special is our ability to welcome ideas, traditions, and experiences from around the world while creating opportunities for local businesses to thrive,”_ said Franco. _“Today is the beginning of a new chapter for a business that chose Buena Park as its home in the United States. Seeing so many people gather in celebration reminds us that great places bring people together. I wish success to everyone involved in putting this together.”_

North Orange County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador **Johny Hong** praised the turnout and the enthusiasm surrounding the launch.

_“I’ve attended countless ribbon cuttings, but this was truly something special,” said Hong. “The excitement started long before the doors opened. You could feel the energy from the fans, the community, and the business leaders who came together to support this milestone. Domo Cafe has already become a destination, and today showed why Buena Park continues to attract innovative businesses and unique experiences.”_

Among the most dedicated attendees was **Raul Ramirez**, who arrived at **4:30 a.m. the day before the grand opening** to secure his place in line.

_“I’ve been following the announcements for months and couldn’t believe the first Domo Cafe in America was opening right here in Buena Park,”_ Ramirez said. _“It was tiring and worth every hour of waiting. The energy, the chanting, the people, and seeing something this unique come to our city made it an unforgettable experience.”_

Throughout the day, visitors explored the cafe’s themed interior, exclusive merchandise, specialty menu items, and immersive Domo-inspired atmosphere. The overwhelming turnout demonstrated the strong enthusiasm surrounding the brand’s arrival and highlighted Buena Park’s appeal as a hub for innovative dining and entertainment concepts.

As guests filled the cafe and shared their experiences across social media, the opening served as another example of how Buena Park continues to attract distinctive businesses that contribute to the city’s cultural and economic vitality.

With the first U.S. Domo Cafe now officially open, today’s celebration marked not only a successful grand opening but also the start of what many attendees hope will become a beloved destination for residents and visitors alike.

Domo, the beloved Japanese character and namesake of Domo Cafe, greets excited fans during the grand opening celebration of the first Domo Cafe in the United States at Buena Park Downtown Mall. Hundreds gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the North Orange County Chamber of Commerce, marking a milestone for both the iconic brand and the City of Buena Park.

**Photo Credit:** Adrian Delos Reyes (@adriandelosreyes\_)

## About Domo Cafe

Domo Cafe is a themed dining experience inspired by Domo, the internationally beloved Japanese character created by NHK. Combining specialty beverages, desserts, merchandise, and immersive design, the cafe offers fans and visitors a unique experience celebrating one of Japan’s most recognizable pop culture icons.

## About the North Orange County Chamber of Commerce

The North Orange County Chamber of Commerce serves as a catalyst for economic growth and community development by connecting businesses, residents, and civic leaders throughout North Orange County.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

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Community leaders, business owners, and representatives from local and state offices gather for the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of Domo Cafe’s first U.S. location at Buena Park Downtown Mall.

**Photo Credit:** Paulina Cortez (@cortez\_plants)

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness PresentationSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park community safety"

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Concept art of the Unearthed haunted maze during Knott’s Scary Farm at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

By Brady MacDonald \| bmacdonald@scng.com

PUBLISHED: August 18, 2026 at 8:15 PM PDT \| UPDATED: August 19, 2026 at 9:44 AM PDT

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Two new Knott’s Scary Farm haunted mazes will take visitors into a world of murderous cartoon characters and on an archaeological dig that unearths an ancient evil when the granddaddy of all Halloween events returns to the Buena Park theme park.

Knott’s Scary Farm will add the new Inked and Unearthed haunted mazes along with the new “Voodoo Bayou’s Edge” and “Occultum” shows for the Halloween 2026 season.

Knott’s announced the new additions during the “ Nightmares Revealed” event on Tuesday, Aug. 18 that previewed the 10 mazes, five scare zones, three shows and more than 1,000 monsters coming to Scary Farm 2026.

Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks. Subscribe here.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Take a ride on Knott’s Montezooma coaster — See the video

The 53rd season of the after hours, separate admission event kicks off on Sept. 17 and runs on select nights through Oct. 31 at Knott’s Berry Farm.

Concept art of the Inked haunted maze during Knott’s Scary Farm at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The new Inked maze will take visitors into the 1930s cartoon world of Morbid Studios run by washed-up studio head Mortimer Morbid.

Blood becomes ink and imagination becomes reality while Mortimer is working on a final Halloween television special where his murderous cartoon characters come to life and pull viewers into their twisted world.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Berry Farm closes loophole on unlimited dining pass

The Inked maze will be created by Knott’s Scary Farm creative designer Daniel Miller, who worked on the Zoo maze in 2025.

The new Inked maze will be located under the Xcelerator coaster.

Concept art of the Unearthed haunted maze during Knott’s Scary Farm at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The new Unearthed maze will take visitors on a perilous journey through an excavation site where the discovery of ancient tablets has awakened a malevolent force from a forgotten age.

A search and rescue team responding to a distress signal at the excavation site must battle an ancient evil unearthed by the archaeological dig.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Berry Farm closes 4 attractions during busy summer season

The Unearthed maze will be designed by Knott’s Scary Farm creative designer Jon Asperin, who worked on the Bloody Mary maze in 2025.

The new Unearthed maze will be located at the former Mystery Lodge attraction.

A scene from Mary: Haunting of Worth Home maze at Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park, CA, on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Eight haunted mazes will return in 2026:

- Mary: The Haunting of Worth Home - The Zoo - Widows - Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman - Chilling Chambers - Cinema Slasher - Room 13 - Origins: The Curse of Calico

The Origins and Chilling Chambers mazes will be retired after the 2026 season of Knott’s Scary Farm.

Concept art of the “Voodoo Bayou’s Edge” show during Knott’s Scary Farm at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The new “Voodoo Bayou’s Edge” show on the Calico Mine Stage will feature drums and dancers amid smoke and fire effects.

Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau will guide the audience through a haunted cemetery and into an underworld of spirits who rule over fertility, healing and death.

Concept art of the “Occultum” magic show during Knott’s Scary Farm at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The new “Occultum” show in the recently refurbished Bird Cage Theatre will feature magicians from the Magic Castle private club in Hollywood that also serves as the headquarters for the Academy of Magical Arts.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Berry Farm slashes 2027 season pass prices by 50%

“ The Hanging” comedy and stunt show will return to the Wagon Camp Theater for another year of pop culture parody and satire.

The Knott’s creative team will also update the CarnEvil scare zone with a new backstory where carnival sideshow characters take over the Boardwalk area of the park.

The Carnevil scare zone at Knott’s Scary Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s Berry Farm)

The new CarnEvil backstory brings Mesmer the Hypnotist and his carnival curiosities to the scare zone typically overrun with crazed clowns.

Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind was a haunted maze from 2021 to 2025 during Knott’s Scary Farm.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ I joined a killer clown cult at Six Flags Fright Fest

The four other returning scare zones include:

- Ghost Town Streets - Forsaken Lake - Gore-ing 20’s - The Gauntlet

The Nightmares Revealed preview event featured a panel discussion on the new Inked and Unearthed mazes, walk-throughs of the Room 13 and Widows mazes with the lights on, monster makeup demonstrations and a Scary Farm wardrobe display.

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The chicken tenders and sides available at Crafty’s Kitchen restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

By Brady MacDonald \| bmacdonald@scng.com

PUBLISHED: August 13, 2026 at 8:08 AM PDT \| UPDATED: August 13, 2026 at 7:23 PM PDT

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Six Flags has raised prices 200% to 400% on all-season dining plans that let Knott’s and Magic Mountain passholders get hundreds of meals annually in an effort to close a loophole being exploited by shrewd deal hunters.

Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain have slashed prices on 2027 all-season dining passes and season passes during a limited-time sale that runs through Sept. 7.

Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks. Subscribe here.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Berry Farm slashes 2027 season pass prices by 50%

The Six Flags all-season dining plan that cost $159 at Knott’s and $99 at Magic Mountain in 2026 now costs as much as $499 for the new Unlimited plan at each park for the 2027 season. That’s a 214% increase at Knott’s and a 404% increase at Magic Mountain.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ How a Santa Clarita engineer saved thousands with the Six Flags Magic Mountain dining pass

“This is obviously in reaction to guests touting the all-season dining plan that allowed guests living/working near a Six Flags park to stop by on their way home from work for a ‘free’ meal,” according to Theme Park Insider.

Crafty’s Kitchen menu items available at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The Six Flags 2026 all-season dining plan limited visitors to two meals a day with a four-hour break in between during every visit. The 2027 plan limits visitors to a meal every two hours with no daily maximum during every visit.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Montezooma coaster makes you feel like a kid again

Six Flags offers two lower priced all-season dining passes for 2027 with more restrictions.

The Access dining pass is good for 20 meals throughout the year at Knott’s ($139) and Magic Mountain ($95) while the Plus dining pass gets you 30 meals per year at Knott’s ($179) and Magic Mountain ($135).

Knott’s Boysenberry Festival Tasting Card menu items available at Mrs. Murphy’s. (Courtesy of Knott’s Berry Farm)

The $499 Unlimited dining plans sold at Knott’s and Magic Mountain are good for meals at any Six Flags park. The 20- and 30-meal plans are only good at the visitor or passholder’s home parks.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Berry Farm closes 4 attractions during busy summer season

Season passholders with the 2027 Unlimited dining plans can theoretically eat more than 725 meals per year at Knott’s and 400 to 500 meals annually at Magic Mountain — or more if they get more than two meals per visit.

The Six Flags 2027 all-season dining prices work out to less than $5 per meal at Magic Mountain and less than $7 per meal at Knott’s for the 20- and 30-meal plans.

Knott’s Boysenberry Festival menu items available at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. (Courtesy of Knott’s Berry Farm)

The Unlimited plan is better at Knott’s (less than $1 per meal) than at Magic Mountain (less than $3 per meal) because the Buena Park theme park is open 364 days a year while the Valencia amusement park operates on a seasonal schedule.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Berry Farm opens new chicken and boysenberry restaurant

“This is clearly a move by the chain to better account for costs by strictly defining how many meals you can get with the standard dining plans,” according to Theme Park Insider.

The personal boysenberry pies available at Crafty’s Kitchen restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

Knott’s accepts the all-season dining plans at 14 restaurants — including Prop Shop Pizzeria, Papas Mexicanas, Fireman’s BBQ and Coasters Diner.

Magic Mountain accepts the dining plans at 20 eateries — including Ace O’ Clubs, Chicken Coupe, Wascal’s and High Octane Wings.

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# Disneyland is at a crossroads. New documentary ‘Worldbuilders’ hints at what’s next

Today’s theme park designers bring to life fully realized cinematic worlds such as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

## D23 arrives this week and there’s renewed attention on Disneyland’s future. I talk to Leslie Iwerks, whose film zeroes in on the parks’ enduring mission of being places of play.

By Todd Martens

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Aug. 11, 2026 11 AM PT

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Disneyland’s yearlong, nostalgia-filled 70th anniversary celebration has come to an end. Attention now turns to preserving the resort’s legacy for the next 70 years.

We’re two years removed from the passage of DisneylandForward by the Anaheim City Council, the ambitious multibillion-dollar plan to reimagine and expand the world’s most famous theme park, and questions are now swirling on what’s to come.

An insider guide to the ever-changing world of theme parks, coming to you straight from SoCal — the theme park capital of the world.

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Hints can likely be found by looking at what’s already been built, at least at Disney’s international parks. Documentarian Leslie Iwerks did just that with her new film “Disney Worldbuilders,” which will have its premiere this weekend at the all-things-Disney convention D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center and then stream on Disney+ starting Aug. 20.

Iwerks, the director of the recent, and terrific, “Disneyland Handcrafted,” comes from Disney royalty. Her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, was a legendary animator instrumental in the development of Mickey Mouse. Her father, Don, was a cinematic and special effects wizard who worked on numerous Disney attractions, including the Michael Jackson-starring film “Captain EO.” As a documentarian, Iwerks has explored Disney before as the director of “The Imagineering Story” and has a long career of films that touch on not just Hollywood but also politics and environmental issues.

Leslie Iwerks has dedicated a significant portion of her career to analyzing the Disney theme parks.

(Iwerks & Co. / Disney+)

If I had any concerns about the future of Disneyland, watching ‘Worldbuilders” helped ease them. That’s in part because the film makes it clear that the Disneyland template was pretty firmly set in place 70 years ago by park patriarch Walt Disney.

While it’s entirely possible for theme park spaces to jump the shark, so to speak, especially when they focus too much on marketing or re-creating familiar film and television moments (see, say, San Fransokyo Square at Disney California Adventure), “Worldbuilders” zeroes in on the parks’ enduring mission of being places of play. The film features interviews with the likes of Pixar chief Pete Docter, “Frozen” mastermind Jennifer Lee, Marvel maestro Kevin Feige and “Avatar” creator James Cameron, who collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering to turn their cinematic universes into physical spaces for fans to interact with.

“I’m always blown away at the audacity of Walt saying, ‘I’m going to create the happiest place on Earth,’ and thinking that could actually be a business model,” Iwerks tells me.

“And what I learned about these filmmakers is that they were all inspired by the Disney parks,” she continues. “Unbeknownst to me, they had a spark going to a Disney theme park. It excited their imagination.”

“Frozen” co-director Jennifer Lee poses with a robotic Olaf at Disneyland Paris in a scene from Leslie Iwerks’ new film “Worldbuilders.”

(Roger Do Minh / Disney+ / Iwerks & Co.)

You see it in Shanghai’s “Zootopia”-inspired land, with its oversize benches that hide parking spaces for critter vehicles beneath. It’s an area full of movement, with puppets and animatronics gracing nearly every structure, aiming to capture wonder and silliness as much as it is the world of the film, which Iwerks notes was unexpectedly inspired by the original Disneyland. It’s present, too, in the “Frozen” area of Disneyland Paris, which seeks to reference and modernize the Disney fairy tale, using imagery of castles and magic not to symbolize happily ever after but familial and friendship bonds.

“All these lands allow you to explore, and allow yourself to be free, to play, to be whimsical,” Iwerks says. “They allow yourself to get out of your own ‘daily frets,’ as Walt called them. There are a lot of technologies vying for attention today, such as cellphones and gaming and lots of things, but there is something tangible about walking through a Disney park that is irreplaceable. That is that tangible sense of play that you can see, you can touch and you can smell. These are visceral memories that stay with us as human beings throughout our entire lifetime.”

Could either “Zootopia” or “Frozen” make its way to Disneyland? Neither, I believe, would be out of place, but there’s a special delicacy when adding to Walt’s original park. Even with the passage of DisneylandForward, land isn’t limitless. Expansion should be thought about not just for the next decade, but the next 50, leaving space for new stories yet untold. To place “Avatar” in Disney California Adventure is a definitive statement that the audiences of 2060 will want to hang with the Na’vi as much as those of 2030.

Thus, a wide-angle approach is best. When Pandora — the World of Avatar was built in Animal Kingdom at Florida’s Walt Disney World, it was done so with a thesis on themes of conservation and environmentalism more so than a focus on any of the film’s characters. Disney California Adventure’s own Cars Land is a love letter to Route 66 and roadside Americana as it much as it is an ode to the Disney/Pixar films.

At D23 in 2024, Disney released concept art of an “Avatar”-inspired attraction said to be coming to Disney California Adventure.

(20th Century / Disneyland Resort)

“Worldbuilders” makes it clear that as much as Disney’s parks have stayed the same, how we build themed lands has changed. Gone, for instance, are the big tent ideas of Frontierland, Adventureland and Fantasyland. Theme park designers today take a more targeted approach, bringing to life fully realized cinematic worlds such as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge or the aforementioned Cars Land. That’s not necessarily a negative. Galaxy’s Edge, for instance, succeeds because it’s a not a point-by-point re-creation of any locale seen in the films. Instead, it’s a place we can visit, and create our own tales.

It’s a reminder, for instance, that Disneyland, despite the prices, the crowds, the marketing or whatever hang-up one may find, endures because it allows us to, well, play. To be a little silly. And that was the lesson of Iwerks’ “Worldbuilders.”

“It’s about original thinking,” Iwerks says, when asked whether she believes it’s important to continually document the Disney theme parks. “So much of Imagineering is focused on original thinking. People can be really smart, but it doesn’t mean they’re an original thinker. One of the greatest things in the world is to create something out of nothing.”

We may arrive at a “Frozen” land wanting to see Anna, Elsa or, especially, the robotic Olaf, but we remember it because it gave us permission to imagine an alternate, more fanciful reality. Thus, it’s a treatise that it is not the intellectual property that makes Disneyland unique; it’s the belief in a more communal, playful world.

## Speaking of D23 ...

Theme park fans should get ready for some news this weekend.

Expect updates and details on previously announced — and well into development projects — such as Disney California Adventure’s “Coco” boat ride and two Marvel attractions, which will effectively double that park’s Avengers Campus. The centerpiece of the latter is a ride featuring many of the Avengers in battle across the multiverse with King Thanos.

The attraction, first announced in 2019, was given a name at 2024’s D23, Avengers Infinity Defense, and it will feature locations such as the Black Panther nation of Wakanda, Asgard and New York City. Early looks have it leaning heavily on visual effects interspersed with physical sets, but expect a deeper unveiling this weekend.

A recent photo of construction at Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus, where two attractions are under development.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

Longer-term, fans are eager for word on what’s planned with the “Avatar” franchise, previously announced to take over part of the Hollywood-themed section of the park currently home to a “Monsters, Inc.” family dark ride. That attraction, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, is slated to close in 2027 to make way for the Cameron-created franchise. There’s been some chatter, most of it online-driven and unsubstantiated, that Disney would pivot from “Avatar” to instead center “Zootopia,” but I’m not convinced. Clarity will arrive in the coming days.

I’ll refrain from diving too heavily into rumors, but expect at least one longer-term hint at a bigger swing, hopefully, for instance, the reimagined plans for what is currently the Toy Story Lot, as well as nearer-term updates on Disneyland’s post-70th entertainment. Fans, of course, will forever be hoping for Walt Disney Imagineering, the division of the company responsible for theme park experiences, to unveil that it is remaking Tomorrowland, which, while home to many a popular attraction, is also stuck with a number of underutilized buildings. While I encourage optimism and dreaming as much as any Disney parks fan, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Disneyland fans, however, may have to come to grips with the fact that some of the most exciting updates will be centered on Florida’s Walt Disney World. Imagineering is expected to at long last detail the attractions coming to the Magic Kingdom’s hotly-anticipated Villain’s Land. Also of note, a reveal of the “Encanto” attraction plotted soon for Animal Kingdom.

## This week in SoCal theme parks

Key issues remain in union contract talks between the Walt Disney Co. and its parade, show and costumed characters.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

- **A dispute in contract talks.** Disneyland employees behind its parade, show and costumed characters have been negotiating their first union contract with the Walt Disney Co. since October 2024. The two sides remain apart on a number of key issues. Disney’s proposal to the roughly 1,700 workers represented by Actors’ Equity omits paid parental leave and cuts paid holidays from 12 to 11, according to an April 6 email reviewed by The Times. Disney says no benefits are being cut because the unit organized in 2024 and the talks are setting first-contract terms rather than modifying an existing agreement. Times Business writers Wendy Lee and Samantha Masunaga have more on the negotiations.

- **New sound barriers coming to Hollywood Drift, says councilmember.** Universal Studios Hollywood appears to be taking steps to address noise complaints regarding its new high-speed, outdoor roller coaster. The office of L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian stated the theme park will install two additional sound barriers to mitigate the sound of rider screams on its new ride Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, which have been described by nearby residents as “disturbing” and “untenable.” Nazarian’s office made the announcement Monday evening on social media. A Universal Studios Hollywood spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment.

- **Montezooma’s is now open!** Knott’s Berry Farm’s four-year overhaul of Montezooma’s Revenge into Montezooma: The Forbidden Fortress has reached its conclusion. The historic ride began welcoming guests late last week. Look for a report on the remodeled attraction here soon.

- **Attendance at Disney parks is up.** The Walt Disney Co. noted in its recent earnings call that attendance at its domestic parks for the three-month period that ended June 27 is up 3% over the comparable period last year. International visits remain a challenge, but the company noted that summer promotions helped fuel the increase, especially at Florida’s Walt Disney World.

- **Cheap! A full year of Knott’s!** At a time when it seems like everything is getting more expensive, Knott’s Berry Farm is currently running a heavy sale on 2027 season passes. Through Sept. 7, a base level pass is just $99, down from its non-sale price of $215. A “gold pass,” which also includes admission to Six Flags Magic Mountain, is currently $129, down from $240. while a “prestige pass,” which includes parking and a number of other perks, is $329, down from $399.

- **Slash is back at Halloween Horror Nights.** Guns ‘N Roses guitar slinger Slash is a staple at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, and is returning to create a soundtrack for a haunted house this year. Slash is providing music for a house titled ‘“Killceañera: Music by Slash,” an original maze that flips the script on a teenage rite of passage. Here, a 15-year-old girl seeks revenge on those who have wronged her. Halloween Horror Nights begins Sept. 3.

## The best thing I ate at the parks this week

The fish and chips from Gordon Ramsay at the Carnaby at Downtown Disney.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

I admit, Downtown Disney’s Gordon Ramsay at the Carnaby is growing on me, especially if one can get seated on the outdoor bar patio, which is far more welcoming than the pub’s indoor bar. I found the latter a little cold and unwelcoming, but the back patio is more lively, especially with pennant race baseball on its big screen TV. I finished a recent Disneyland day with the Carnaby’s fish and chips, which is essentially one giant piece of cod with fries and “mushy peas.” It’s pricey, at $33, but it’s also incredibly hefty and filling. It’s certainly the strongest fish and chips on Disneyland property, and sea salt-infused batter was so crisp and rich that it almost felt wrong to slather the fish in tartar sauce. I couldn’t quite place my finger on the flavor — I’ve read that Ramsay’s fish and chips recipe includes custard powder — but there was a burnt buttery tone that was far from dry. I’ll be back.

## Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.

Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.

Ride on,

Todd Martens

## P.S.

Stay tuned to Mr. Todd’s Wild Ride this week for all the big Disney parks news from D23. Saturday evening Disney will be hosting a panel at the Honda Center to reveal new details on attractions coming to its theme parks around the world, and I’ll be there delivering breaking coverage straight to your inbox.

Also, say hi if you see me wandering the Anaheim Convention Center. I’ll have Mr. Todd’s Wild Ride stickers to share.

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Todd Martens is a features columnist at the Los Angeles Times who writes about theme parks and West Coast Experiences, among other topics. His weekly newsletter, Mr. Todd’s Wild Ride, covers the ever-changing world of theme parks from SoCal. Martens joined the Los Angeles Times in 2007 and has covered a mix of interactive entertainment as its game critic and pop music as a reporter and editor. Previously, he reported on the music business for Billboard Magazine.

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The Wonder Woman Flight of Courage roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, left, and the HangTime coaster at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Photos by Hans Gutknecht and Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

By Brady MacDonald \| bmacdonald@scng.com

PUBLISHED: August 7, 2026 at 8:55 AM PDT \| UPDATED: August 7, 2026 at 2:41 PM PDT

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Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain have slashed prices on 2027 season passes that cost less than a single day visit to Disneyland or Universal Studios Hollywood throughout most of the year.

The limited-time sale on 2027 Six Flags season passes runs Friday, Aug. 7 through Sept. 7.

Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks. Subscribe here.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Montezooma coaster makes you feel like a kid again

Buying a season pass now at the lowest price of the year gets you into the park of your choice through the rest of 2026 plus all of 2027.

The basic-level $99 Knott’s season pass is good just for the Buena Park theme park but not the Soak City water park next door. That’s a whopping 54% discount, bringing the cost of a year at Knott’s below the cheapest one-day ticket to Disneyland.

By comparison, daily ticket prices cost $104 to $224 at Disneyland and $109 to $155 at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The new Montezooma: The Forbidden Fortress roller coaster at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

Knott’s also offers a $129 Gold season pass (a 46% discount) that gets you into all Six Flags amusement parks and water parks on the West Coast.

Magic Mountain’s $129 Gold season pass (35% off) comes with access to all the Six Flags West Coast parks along with free parking. The Valencia amusement park does not offer a basic-level season pass like Knott’s.

The Six Flags West Coast parks include Knott’s, Magic Mountain, California’s Great America and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom along with all their water parks plus Hurricane Harbor Phoenix.

People ride the Revolution roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Knott’s and Magic Mountain each offer a $329 Prestige pass that’s good at every Six Flags park for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027 — an 18% discount during the sale.

The Prestige passes at Knott’s and Magic Mountain come with a 15% discount on food and merchandise, free parking, free soft drinks, free Fast Lane passes and bring-a-friend passes.

Guests ride the Rail Blazer roller coaster at California’s Great America amusement park in 2021, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

California’s Great America in Santa Clara offers an $89 Gold season pass (a 32% discount) but no Prestige pass.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo has a $69 Silver season pass (19% off), $85 Gold pass (35% off) and $145 Prestige pass (28% off).

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Knott’s Berry Farm sets opening date for new chicken and boysenberry restaurant

Don’t even think about buying a season pass at Great America or Discovery Kingdom just to save a few bucks if you plan to primarily use the pass at Knott’s or Magic Mountain. Your perks, discounts and parking are tied to your home park — as is your first visit.

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Crafty’s Kitchen will serve personal boysenberry pies and strawberry shortcake at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

By Brady MacDonald \| bmacdonald@scng.com

PUBLISHED: August 6, 2026 at 10:50 AM PDT \| UPDATED: August 6, 2026 at 3:39 PM PDT

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A new Knott’s Berry Farm restaurant serving a pair of fan-favorite foods that made the Buena Park theme park famous — fried chicken and boysenberry pie — will be run by a mischievous coyote known for stealing pies on the dark ride next door.

The new Crafty’s Kitchen self-service restaurant will open on Friday, Aug. 7 as a replacement for the former Johnny Rockets burger stand in the Charleston Circle area of Knott’s Berry Farm.

Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks. Subscribe here.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ $20 million Montezooma coaster is ‘like a brand new ride,’ Knott’s president says

The new restaurant will expand upon the whimsical backstory of Crafty Coyote — the pie-thieving crook from the nearby Knott’s Bear-y Tales dark ride who has hung up his outlaw ways to open the new eatery next door.

Crafty’s Kitchen will take over the shuttered Knott’s Beary Factory cafeteria with chef/owner Crafty Coyote developing a menu of quirky culinary concoctions, according to the backstory.

The chicken tenders and sides available at Crafty’s Kitchen restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The walls of the restaurant will be covered with Crafty’s police mug shots, wanted posters and blueprints for his wacky fryer inventions.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ How Knott’s Berry Farm completely overhauled 2 historic locomotives

The thieving Crafty Coyote is known for pilfering pies on the nearby Knott’s Bear-y Farm dark ride and it appears the Knott’s culinary team has borrowed a few menu ideas from Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and Portillo’s Cake Shakes.

The fried chicken sandwiches on brioche bun or biscuit available at Crafty’s Kitchen restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The Crafty’s Kitchen menu offers twists on a pair of Knott’s classics by serving fried chicken tenders using Mrs. Knott’s chicken dinner restaurant recipe and boysenberry pie shakes made with slices of boysenberry pie baked daily in the Knott’s bakery.

The Crafty’s Kitchen menu features fried chicken tenders, hot wings and fried chicken sandwiches ($19.99 to $20.79) with a choice of sides including fries, mac & cheese, coleslaw and potato salad.

The hot wings and sauces available at Crafty’s Kitchen restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The wings are available in four sauce flavors: Boysenberry barbecue, garlic & parmesan, buffalo and sweet chili.

The sandwiches are served on a biscuit or brioche bun.

The strawberry shortcake available at Crafty’s Kitchen restaurant at Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

The dessert lineup includes personal boysenberry pies ($6.49), strawberry shortcake ($6.99) and vanilla, chocolate or boysenberry pie shakes ($9.99 to $10.99).

The cocktail menu features a bourbon cream soda ($21.99), mudslide ($21.99) and beer, wine or cider ($13.99 to $16.49).

Concept art of the Crafty’s Kitchen coming to Knott’s Berry Farm. (Courtesy of Knott’s)

Johnny Rockets closed in April to make way for construction of the new Crafty’s Kitchen.

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# J Med Supplies

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John Amirthiah

Medical equipment supplier of wheelchairs, beds, oxygen, PPE with same-day delivery to hospice, nursing centers, pharmacies, and Medicare providers.

Sector: Medical Device

Headquarters: Buena Park

Year established: 2017

2022-2024 Growth Rate: 63.7%

Opened three new distribution centers, significantly enhancing our logistical capabilities and service reach. Workforce has grown by one-third, bolstered by the strategic hiring of top-tier sales management to drive performance and innovation. In addition, it expanded into the Arizona and Las Vegas markets. A major milestone has been the development of a private label for DME (durable medical equipment).

jmednow.com

\# of employees: 26

Top Executives: John Amirthiah, Owner

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## Buena Park Library Board Approves $6.95 Million Renovation of Historic Library

### **Major modernization will preserve the William L. Pereira-designed library while creating updated spaces for future generations**

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — September 3, 2026** — A major renovation of one of Buena Park’s most recognizable civic institutions is moving forward after the Buena Park Library District Board of Trustees voted to award a $6.95 million construction contract for the renovation of the Buena Park Library.

At its September 1 meeting, the five-member Board of Library Trustees voted **4-0, with one abstention**, to approve the construction contract with Monet Construction, Inc. The company submitted the lowest of 11 bids received for the project at **$6,953,432**.

The Board also authorized a **$1,043,015 construction contingency** for unforeseen conditions and necessary changes during construction, bringing the potential construction authorization to approximately **$7.996 million**. According to the District’s agenda report, the contingency was already incorporated into the project’s approved overall budget rather than representing a new appropriation.

The decision marks a major milestone for a renovation project that has been in development since 2023 and seeks to modernize the aging facility while respecting a building with significant architectural and community history.

“This is about much more than renovating a building,” said **Buena Park Library Director Helen Medina**. “For generations, families have come through these doors to discover books, learn new skills, attend programs and connect with their neighbors. This project gives us an opportunity to protect that legacy while creating a library that can meet the needs of Buena Park for decades to come.”

The **Buena Park Library** at dusk.  A sign on the building indicates that the library is **temporarily closed due to building improvements**. The soft evening sky and warm sunset light give the setting a calm, quiet atmosphere.

## **A Modern Library Inside a Buena Park Landmark**

The renovation will touch nearly every aspect of the facility. Plans call for renovated public reading and collection areas, a new community programming space, upgraded technology and electrical infrastructure, improved staff and operational areas, new interior finishes and furnishings, accessibility improvements, elevator and plumbing modernization, roof maintenance and associated site and utility work.

The District has also described plans for refreshed spaces serving children, teens and adults and enhanced areas for programming and community engagement.

For Councilmember **Carlos Franco**, who spoke in support of the renovation at the Board meeting, investing in the library represents an investment in one of Buena Park’s few institutions that serves residents across generations and backgrounds.

“Our library is one of those special places where it doesn’t matter how old you are, where you come from or how much money you make — the doors are open to you,” Franco said. “I remember libraries as places where young people could explore a world much bigger than the one immediately around them. Now we have the responsibility to make sure the next generation of Buena Park kids has that same opportunity, in a facility that is safe, welcoming and prepared for the future.”

Franco also praised the effort to modernize the facility without erasing what makes it distinctive.

“There would be an easier way to approach an aging building: tear things out, make everything new and forget the history,” Franco added. “But Buena Park’s history matters. We can preserve the character of this incredible building while making sure it continues working for the people who use it. That’s the balance I think our community deserves.”

## **More Than a Century of Library Service**

The Buena Park Library’s story predates the incorporation of the City itself.

Library service in the community traces its roots to **1905**, when donated books were housed inside the Lily Creamery. In 1919, the Buena Park Women’s Club helped circulate petitions for an election that formally established the **Buena Park Library District**. A small library building followed in 1920 with a collection of just 283 volumes.

Unlike a municipal department of the City of Buena Park, the Library District is an **independent special district** organized under California’s Education Code. It is governed by its own five-member elected Board of Library Trustees.

As Buena Park grew, so did its library. The present facility at **7150 La Palma Avenue** was dedicated in 1969, coinciding with the Library District’s 50th anniversary.

And the building itself carries an architectural pedigree that makes the renovation particularly noteworthy.

## **Preserving a William L. Pereira Design**

The current Buena Park Library was designed by **William L. Pereira & Associates**, the celebrated architectural firm behind some of California’s most recognizable Modernist landmarks.

Pereira became particularly influential in the development of postwar Orange County and is internationally known for projects including San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid and UC San Diego’s Geisel Library. The Buena Park Library District’s historical assessment identifies William L. Pereira & Associates as the architects of the Buena Park facility, with Jones and Peterson serving as landscape architects and W.J. Shirley Jr. and Co. as general contractor.

The library therefore represents more than an aging public building. It is a surviving piece of Southern California’s mid-century civic architecture and a physical reminder of Buena Park’s rapid growth during that era.

That history became an important consideration as the District began planning the renovation.

## **From Flooding to a Broader Reinvestment**

The immediate need for improvements became particularly apparent in **September 2023**, when flooding in the library basement resulted in the loss of its longtime community room. Subsequent water intrusion raised concerns about groundwater and the property’s high water table; the District noted that the building had also experienced flooding after heavy rainfall in 1998.

Rather than addressing only the immediate damage, the District began evaluating the library’s broader infrastructure and long-term needs.

The Board expanded the project’s scope in March 2025, and the resulting plan evolved into a comprehensive modernization intended to improve accessibility, technology, public spaces and the overall experience for patrons.

Competitive bids were received on August 19, 2026. Eleven contractors submitted proposals, ranging from Monet Construction’s winning **$6.95 million** bid to a high bid of approximately **$9.14 million**. District staff subsequently reviewed the submissions and determined Monet to be the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.

The renovation represents an unusual opportunity: taking a building created during one of the defining periods of Southern California architecture and preparing it for another generation of public service.

For a library system that began with donated books inside a creamery more than 120 years ago, the project is another chapter in a long-running Buena Park story — adapting to a changing community while preserving the idea that started it all: knowledge and opportunity should be available to everyone.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

Carlos Franco Installed as President of the Buena Park Rotary ClubJuly 21, 2026In "Buena Park community leaders"

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## Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness

### Community presentation gives Buena Park residents practical tools to prepare their families and homes before an emergency strikes

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — September 15, 2026** — Preparedness took center stage Tuesday evening as the Buena Park Noon Lions Club welcomed the Orange County Fire Authority for a community presentation focused on disaster preparedness, fire prevention and home safety.

The free community outreach program, held at the Buena Park Community Center, brought Lions Club members and residents together to learn practical steps they can take before an emergency occurs. The District 4-L4 Lions calendar listed the September 15 program as an OCFA presentation featuring tips and information on fire prevention, disaster preparedness and home safety.

An Orange County Fire Authority representative speaks about disaster preparedness and fire safety during a September 15 community outreach program hosted by the Buena Park Noon Lions Club at the Buena Park Community Center. Club members and local residents gathered to learn practical steps for preparing their households before an emergency.

For Buena Park Noon Lions Club Secretary **Priscilla Perez**, the program reflected the club’s broader mission of turning community service into information residents can actually use.

“Service isn’t only about responding after something happens — it’s also about helping our neighbors be prepared before they ever need help,” Perez said. “If one person leaves tonight, goes home, puts together an emergency kit and has that important conversation with their family, then we’ve accomplished something meaningful.”

## Preparation Starts Before the Emergency

OCFA encourages residents to prepare for emergencies by creating a family disaster plan, identifying meeting locations, planning multiple evacuation routes and assembling portable emergency supplies sufficient for at least three days. The agency also recommends registering for AlertOC and establishing an out-of-state emergency contact. OCFA

Those recommendations take on added importance because emergencies do not necessarily leave families time to develop a plan once they begin.

The presentation emphasized the idea that individual preparedness strengthens the entire community — especially when families understand where to go, what to take and how to communicate if normal routines are disrupted.

Club member **Juanita Martinez** said the presentation served as a reminder that preparedness can begin with relatively simple actions.

“We all think we know what we would do in an emergency until we really start asking the questions — Where would my family meet? What would I grab? Do I have enough water? Where are my important documents?” Martinez said. “Tonight was a good reminder that being prepared doesn’t have to be complicated. You just have to start.”

## “Ready, Set, Go!”

Fire safety was another central part of the evening.

OCFA’s **Ready, Set, Go!** program encourages residents to prepare their homes well before wildfire danger develops, have emergency items and evacuation plans ready, and leave promptly when conditions require evacuation. The agency recommends a disaster supply kit containing enough essentials for each household member for at least three days. OCFA

OCFA also stresses the importance of knowing multiple evacuation routes and leaving early enough to avoid becoming trapped by fire, smoke or road congestion. OCFA

Although wildfire preparedness is an important component of the agency’s public education, OCFA’s disaster-planning guidance applies more broadly to emergencies including earthquakes and other disasters that can interrupt transportation, utilities and communication. OCFA

## Lions Serving Beyond the Meeting Room

For the Buena Park Noon Lions Club, hosting the presentation was also an example of how local service organizations can use their networks to connect residents with public agencies and useful resources.

Rather than limiting service to fundraising or volunteer projects, the program created a space where community members could hear directly from emergency professionals and take that information home to their families.

Perez said that type of partnership is something the club hopes to continue.

“Lions are at our best when we’re bringing people together around something that makes Buena Park stronger,” Perez said. “Sometimes service is rolling up your sleeves. Sometimes it’s connecting a neighbor with information that could protect their family. Both matter.”

Martinez agreed, adding that preparedness itself can become a form of community service.

“When you’re prepared, you’re not only helping yourself,” Martinez said. “You’re in a better position to help your family, check on a neighbor and support someone who may need a little extra assistance. That’s what being a community is about.”

The message members carried away from the evening was ultimately a simple one: disasters may be unpredictable, but preparation does not have to be.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in IndiaSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park Rotary Club"

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Installs Art Brown as President for 2026–2027July 21, 2026In "Art Brown Lions President"

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

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## Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community

### Social media post points to neighborhood investment, small-business advocacy, youth opportunity and a governing philosophy focused on giving residents a pathway forward

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — September 6, 2026** — Buena Park Councilmember Carlos Franco is highlighting a series of City Hall decisions and community initiatives he says demonstrate his commitment to Buena Park’s Latino community, pointing to investments in underserved neighborhoods, advocacy for working families and small businesses, and expanded opportunities for local youth.

**Councilmember Carlos Franco** highlights his record of advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino community, including Coyote Park, street-vendor education, small-business protections, youth entrepreneurship and e-bike safety.

In a recent Instagram post, Franco opened the conversation around a question he says he hears frequently: **What have you done for the Latino community?**

Rather than framing his response around symbolism, Franco pointed to actions taken during his time on the City Council — including the development of Coyote Park, his dissenting vote on tougher street-vending enforcement, concerns he raised over the economic effects of Buena Park’s gas-powered landscaping equipment phaseout, partnerships designed to expose Latino students to entrepreneurship, and his approach to youth e-bike safety.

“For me, representation has to mean more than being Latino and sitting behind the dais,” Franco said. “It means understanding how decisions at City Hall actually land at someone’s kitchen table — whether that’s a gardener trying to provide for his family, a street vendor trying to become a legitimate business owner, a parent worried about their kid riding an e-bike, or a family that simply wants a park within walking distance of home.”

## From Enforcement to Opportunity

One of Franco’s most visible breaks with his City Council colleagues came in January 2025, when the Council voted 4-1 to strengthen enforcement against unpermitted street vendors.

Franco cast the lone dissenting vote.

At the time, Franco argued that the City should develop a clearer pathway for vendors to operate legally rather than focusing primarily on enforcement. The permitting process can require multiple approvals, including a Buena Park business license and sidewalk vending permit as well as applicable county health permits.

The issue has particular significance in immigrant and working-class communities, where sidewalk vending can serve as an entry point into entrepreneurship.

Franco said his position was not that vendors should be exempt from health, safety or business requirements. Instead, he wanted City Hall to pair those requirements with education and assistance.

“The goal shouldn’t be to catch somebody doing something wrong,” Franco said. **“The goal should be to show people how to do it right. If someone is willing to work, follow the health rules, get permitted and build something for their family, I want Buena Park to help them understand that process.”**

## Standing Up for Landscapers and Working Families

Franco also raised concerns in 2025 when Buena Park adopted an ordinance phasing out the use of gas-powered landscaping equipment.

Under the ordinance, restrictions began taking effect for landscaping businesses in July 2026, with additional prohibitions scheduled through January 2028.

While the policy was intended to reduce emissions and transition the community toward electric equipment, Franco warned that the cost of replacing professional equipment could fall disproportionately on smaller landscaping businesses and ultimately their customers. He specifically raised the possibility that residents on fixed incomes could face higher landscaping costs.

For Franco, the debate illustrated a larger principle: environmental goals and economic realities should be considered together.

“We can care about the environment and still ask who is paying the price for a policy,” Franco said. “A small landscaper shouldn’t become collateral damage because he doesn’t have thousands of dollars sitting around to replace equipment overnight. Good government has to understand the people behind the policy.”

## Bringing Investment Into Neighborhoods

Franco also pointed to **Coyote Park**, a new neighborhood park being developed in an area of Buena Park with limited access to open space.

The project has become one of Franco’s signature examples of what he describes as neighborhood-level equity: bringing public investment directly into communities where families can experience it in their everyday lives.

“A park may look like a small thing on a spreadsheet,” Franco said. “But ask a family whose kids haven’t had a neighborhood park to walk to. Ask the grandparents who want somewhere nearby to sit outside. That’s when government becomes real.”

The park is expected to include neighborhood amenities such as chess board tables, a little library with a seed library, and a coyote statue reflecting the community’s local identity.

## Giving Latino Youth a Path Into Entrepreneurship

Franco’s post also highlighted collaborative efforts involving local educational and business organizations and the Mexican Consulate aimed at connecting Latino youth with entrepreneurship and economic opportunity.

The philosophy, Franco said, is to expose young people not only to traditional career paths but also to the possibility of creating businesses, becoming employers and building generational wealth.

**“I want our kids growing up believing they can own the restaurant, own the landscaping company, build the startup or create something none of us have thought of yet,”** Franco said. “Sometimes the difference is simply having somebody open that first door.”

## Balancing E-Bike Safety With How Young People Actually Travel

Franco has taken a similar approach to Buena Park’s evolving e-bike regulations.

As city officials considered updating local rules in June, one option discussed would permit electric mobility devices on sidewalks subject to a 10-mph speed limit. Franco emphasized that the City should encourage bicycle and electric-mobility use while establishing enforceable rules for irresponsible behavior.

Buena Park officials reported eight e-bike or e-scooter collisions since 2024 and 29 incidents involving e-bikes reported by the Orange County Fire Authority since 2021, underscoring the need to balance mobility with pedestrian and rider safety.

Franco said young riders should be educated and given realistic rules rather than policies that ignore how students actually get around their neighborhoods.

## “Judge Me by the Work”

Taken together, Franco said the examples reflect the kind of representation he wants to provide: culturally aware but focused on practical results.

He acknowledged that residents will not agree with every vote he casts. But he said the measure of representation should ultimately be whether residents feel heard and whether government is creating opportunities for them to succeed.

“I don’t expect people to support me simply because my last name is Franco,” he said. “Judge me by the work. Did I show up? Did I listen? Did I speak up when working families needed somebody in the room? Did we leave the neighborhood better than we found it?”

For Franco, that is also why the Instagram post was framed as the beginning of a conversation rather than the final word.

**“Our Latino community isn’t one issue and it isn’t one voting bloc,” Franco said. “We’re homeowners, renters, students, veterans, business owners, gardeners, teachers, parents and grandparents. We don’t all think alike — and that’s a good thing. My job is to make sure those voices have a place at the table.”**

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in IndiaSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park Rotary Club"

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness PresentationSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park community safety"

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

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## Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India

### International partnership advances check-dam and river restoration work while connecting Buena Park Rotarians with humanitarian service thousands of miles from home

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — September 25, 2026** — The Rotary Club of Buena Park is celebrating a major international service milestone after **Rotary International released $85,321.98** for a water management project in India, allowing partners to move forward with implementation of an initiative centered on check-dam development and the deepening of a river.

The Rotary Club of Buena Park is celebrating the release of $85,321.98 for an international water management project in India, made possible through Rotary partnerships and fundraising efforts led in part by Immediate Past President Shailesh Shah.

The milestone was shared with Buena Park Rotary leadership by Immediate Past President **Shailesh Shah**, who helped lead fundraising efforts and develop the partnerships that made the project possible.

The initiative brings together Rotarians and humanitarian partners across international borders, with the **Rotary Club of Buena Park serving as the international host/support club**, according to project correspondence. Partners include **Self Awakening Mission**, Shri Ashok Ji and other Rotary and project representatives in India.

For current Buena Park Rotary President **Carlos Franco**, the project illustrates how a relatively small community service club can make an impact far beyond its hometown.

“From Buena Park to India, we may be separated by thousands of miles, but our commitment to helping others knows no borders,” Franco said. “It’s amazing to see what can happen when people come together in service. This is what ‘Service Above Self’ looks like on a global scale.”

## From Buena Park to India

The project focuses on water management through infrastructure intended to capture and better manage water resources. Check dams are small barriers constructed across waterways that can slow water flow and support water conservation and groundwater recharge, depending on their design and local conditions.

Such work aligns with Rotary’s broader international focus on water, sanitation and hygiene. Rotary reports that its Foundation has invested extensively in water-resource projects around the world, and global grants are specifically designed to support large international projects with sustainable and measurable outcomes. Rotary

Rotary has a history of supporting check-dam projects in India. Previous Rotary initiatives have used check dams to increase water storage and groundwater recharge and to support communities facing water scarcity. Service Project Center

With funding now released, project partners are expected to move into implementation, including on-site work, project identification and documentation of the project’s progress and impact.

## Recognizing the Leadership Behind the Project

Franco gave special recognition to Shah, whose work helped position the Buena Park club to participate in the international initiative.

“A very special thank you goes to Shailesh Shah,” Franco said. “His leadership and hard work helped raise the money that made this possible and opened the door for the Rotary Club of Buena Park to be part of such a meaningful international project. Projects like this don’t happen overnight. They happen because people are willing to build relationships, stay committed and keep working toward something bigger than themselves.”

Shah, in correspondence announcing the release of funds, also credited **Self Awakening Mission** for its generosity, commitment and support of the project.

The nonprofit operates in India and describes its work as spanning humanitarian and charitable efforts including community meals, medical camps, elderly care, assistance for underserved communities, women’s empowerment and other service programs. Its website also documents water-relief efforts in India. Self Awakening Mission

Shah also recognized Shri Ashok Ji for his leadership and continued work bringing the water project toward implementation.

## A Global Club With Local Roots

The project comes as the Buena Park Rotary Club seeks to expand the meaning of service for its members — pairing local projects and youth development with opportunities to participate in international humanitarian efforts.

Franco said the India partnership demonstrates that a Rotary club does not have to be large to think globally.

“Buena Park is our home, and serving our neighbors here will always be at the heart of what we do,” Franco said. “But Rotary also gives us this incredible network where a relationship formed here can eventually help a community on the other side of the world. That’s powerful.”

The project’s next phase is expected to include construction and continued documentation, with Buena Park Rotary and its partners following its progress and eventual community impact.

For Franco, the milestone is also an example of continuity in volunteer leadership — with a project cultivated under one club president continuing to receive support from the next.

“Shailesh helped plant the seed, and now our responsibility is to help carry the work forward,” Franco said. “That’s Rotary. Leadership changes, but the service continues.”

**Service Above Self — across borders.**

Editorial note: The $85,321.98 grant amount, Buena Park Rotary’s role, project description and partner acknowledgments above are based on the project correspondence provided by the Rotary Club of Buena Park. The broader descriptions of Rotary’s grant and water programs were independently verified through Rotary International.

## About the Rotary Club of Buena Park

The Rotary Club of Buena Park brings local business, civic and community leaders together through fellowship and service. The club supports youth development, community initiatives and humanitarian projects while participating in Rotary’s international network of service.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

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#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

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### _Related_

Carlos Franco Installed as President of the Buena Park Rotary ClubJuly 21, 2026In "Buena Park community leaders"

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness PresentationSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park community safety"

Buena Park High School Interact Club Honors Veterans with Flag Day Rose Garden ProjectJune 23, 2026In "American Legion Post 354"

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## From Titans to Coyotes: New CSUF Statue Inspires School and Community Pride in Orange County

**FULLERTON, Calif. — August 2026** — A new symbol of strength, pride and belonging has arrived at **California State University, Fullerton**, as the university unveiled its long-awaited bronze Titan statue—more than three decades after the idea of creating an iconic campus monument first began.

A side-by-side image celebrates two symbols of school and community pride: the **Coyote**, representing Buena Park High School and the future Coyote Park landmark, and the **Titan**(photo from @csufofficial), representing California State University, Fullerton. Titled **“Coyotes & Titans,”** the image highlights the connection between generations of students, alumni, and the lasting identities created by their school mascots.

The sculpture, created by artist **Matthew Gray Palmer** in collaboration with campus partners, now stands prominently on the Cal State Fullerton campus between McCarthy Hall and Gordon Hall. An official dedication ceremony is expected to follow.

Designed to embody the ambitions, diversity and pride of generations of Titans, the statue was developed through a collaborative process involving the **Cal State Fullerton Alumni Association, Associated Students Inc. and Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors**, with input gathered from across the campus community.

The project was made possible through private support rather than state funding, transforming a decades-old idea into a permanent gathering place and symbol for generations of students and alumni.

For **Buena Park Councilmember and Cal State Fullerton alumnus Carlos Franco**, seeing the Titan finally take its place on campus brought back memories of how strongly a school mascot can become tied to a person’s identity and sense of belonging.

_“When you’re a student, a mascot can seem like something you cheer for at a game or see printed on a sweatshirt. Years later, you realize it represents something much bigger,”_ Franco said. _“The Titan represents thousands of individual stories—students who worked late, families who sacrificed, friendships that were formed and graduates who went out into the world carrying a little bit of Cal State Fullerton with them. As an alumnus, seeing this statue finally standing on campus feels like seeing all of those stories given a permanent home.”_

The arrival also has a special connection to Franco’s hometown of Buena Park, where another community mascot is preparing to find a permanent home.

As development of **Coyote Park** continues near Stanton Avenue and Pinchot Court, plans call for a coyote statue that will pay tribute to the identity of nearby **Buena Park High School**, home of the Coyotes.

For generations of Buena Park students, the coyote has represented school spirit, perseverance and pride. The future statue will extend that identity beyond the high school campus and into a neighborhood park designed for the surrounding community.

Current Buena Park High School student **Kameron Underwood** said the prospect of seeing a Coyote represented permanently in the community carries special meaning for students.

_“Being a Coyote is something we’re proud of, and having a statue in a community park makes it feel like that pride belongs to the whole city,”_ Underwood said. _“Students will be able to walk by it and say, ‘That’s us. That’s our school.’ Years from now, even after we graduate, we’ll be able to come back and know that a piece of our time at Buena Park High School is still represented here.”_

Coyote Park itself grew from community advocacy for additional open space in the neighborhood. The approximately one-third-acre park is being designed with resident input and is intended to provide a welcoming neighborhood space with landscaping, seating, recreation and opportunities for residents to gather.

Franco sees a meaningful parallel between the two projects.

One statue represents a university whose graduates carry the Titan identity throughout their lives. The other will represent generations of students who have grown up calling themselves Coyotes.

_“Places become meaningful because of the stories we attach to them,”_ Franco said. _“Twenty years from now, a Cal State Fullerton graduate may bring their child to the Titan and tell them about their college years. I imagine the same thing happening at Coyote Park—a former Buena Park High School student bringing their family to the statue and saying, ‘I was a Coyote.’ That’s how community identity gets passed from one generation to the next.”_

For Cal State Fullerton, the new Titan is the culmination of more than 30 years of imagining a physical landmark capable of capturing the university’s spirit.

For Buena Park’s Coyotes, another story is just beginning.

Different schools. Different mascots. Different generations.

But the same enduring idea: **a symbol becomes powerful when a community sees itself reflected in it.**

## About California State University, Fullerton

California State University, Fullerton is one of the largest universities in the California State University system, serving a diverse student population through academic programs, research, community engagement and opportunities that prepare graduates to contribute throughout Orange County, California and beyond.

## About Coyote Park

Coyote Park is a planned neighborhood park near Stanton Avenue and Pinchot Court in Buena Park. Developed through community input and collaboration between the City of Buena Park and its design team, the project is envisioned as a neighborhood gathering place providing additional open space, landscaping and recreational opportunities for residents.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

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#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

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Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

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### _Related_

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Carlos Franco Installed as President of the Buena Park Rotary ClubJuly 21, 2026In "Buena Park community leaders"

Councilmember Carlos Franco Announces Re-Election Campaign Kickoff in Buena ParkJune 20, 2026In "American Legion Post 354 Buena Park"

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## Buena Park Celebrates Freedom, Heritage, and Unity at Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — June 19, 2026** — Residents from across Orange County gathered in Buena Park on Thursday for the city’s **Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom**, an afternoon filled with live music, inspiring speakers, cultural performances, family activities, and community fellowship honoring one of America’s most significant historical milestones.

Hosted by the City of Buena Park in partnership with local community leaders and organizations, the celebration welcomed families of all backgrounds to reflect on the enduring values of freedom, equality, and unity while enjoying an evening of entertainment, food, and educational experiences.

Community leaders and organizers gather on stage during Buena Park’s Third Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom on June 19, 2026. The event brought together residents from across Southern California to honor the history of Juneteenth through music, cultural performances, family activities, and a shared celebration of freedom and community.

**Photo Credit:** Juan Morse (@juanmorse)

**Juneteenth**, observed annually on **June 19**, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom—more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, Juneteenth is recognized as a federal holiday celebrating freedom while encouraging reflection on the nation’s ongoing pursuit of equality and justice.

Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed live performances, local vendors, children’s activities, and opportunities to connect with neighbors from across the region. The event showcased Buena Park’s commitment to celebrating the diverse cultures and histories that shape the community.

For Buena Park Councilmember **Carlos Franco**, the celebration demonstrated how communities become stronger by learning from one another’s stories.

_“Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is not simply a moment in history—it is a responsibility we carry forward together,”_ said Franco. _“When we gather as neighbors to celebrate one another’s heritage, we build understanding, strengthen friendships, and reaffirm the belief that every member of our community deserves dignity, opportunity, and a sense of belonging. Buena Park is strongest when every story has a place.”_

The event also attracted visitors from throughout Southern California, including **Diamond Bar resident Juan Morse**, who documented the celebration through photography.

_“I was originally there to photograph the band, but what impressed me most was seeing people from so many different backgrounds celebrating together,”_ said Morse. _“There was music, laughter, families, and genuine conversations happening everywhere. It wasn’t just a celebration of history—it was a celebration of community. Buena Park created an atmosphere where everyone felt welcome.”_

As the sun set over the celebration, community leaders recognized local organizations and volunteers whose work continues to strengthen Buena Park throughout the year. Guests concluded the evening with live music and fellowship, reflecting on both the progress that has been made and the work that continues to build a more inclusive future.

Now in its third year, Buena Park’s Juneteenth Celebration has become an important annual tradition—one that honors the past while inspiring future generations to value freedom, respect, and unity.

## About Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free following the Civil War. Today, the holiday celebrates freedom, resilience, and the continuing pursuit of equality while recognizing the contributions of African Americans to the nation’s history and culture.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

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#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

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Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

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### _Related_

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

Domo Cafe Opens First U.S. Location in Buena Park to Hundreds of Excited FansJune 13, 2026In "Buena Park attractions"

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## Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Ladero Taco on Beach Boulevard

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — June 2026** — The City of Buena Park officially welcomed the opening of a new flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco location at **8650 Beach Boulevard**, marking a significant investment in one of the city’s most visible commercial corridors.

Located on a spacious 1.2-acre site that once housed the beloved Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, the new convenience store and fueling station serves as a modern gateway for visitors entering Buena Park’s entertainment district and commercial center.

The grand opening ceremony was organized by **Andrew Tran**, Corporate Area Leader for 7-Eleven, alongside **Andrew Gregson** and the team from the **North Orange County Chamber of Commerce**. The event brought together elected officials, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, residents, and community stakeholders to celebrate the newest addition to Buena Park’s business community.

Community leaders, elected officials, business representatives, and residents gather for the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of Buena Park’s newest flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco location at 8650 Beach Boulevard. The event featured live entertainment, charitable giving, and the official welcome of a new gateway business to the city.

**Photo Credit:** Marco Velarde (@vel\_art\_e)

_“The North Orange County Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco’s newest flagship location to Buena Park,”_ said **Andrew Gregson**, President & CEO of the North Orange County Chamber of Commerce. _“This investment represents confidence in our community, creates local jobs, strengthens our commercial corridor, and demonstrates what is possible when businesses, local government, and community organizations work together. We are grateful to the 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco teams for choosing Buena Park and for their commitment to giving back through organizations like the Boys & Girls Club.”_

Representatives from the offices of **Senator Tony Strickland**, **Senator Tom Umberg**, **Congressman Derek Tran**, **Congressman Lou Correa**, **Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva**, and **Orange County Supervisor Doug Chaffee** attended the festivities. Joining them were **Buena Park City Councilmembers Carlos Franco, Susan Sonne, Joyce Ahn, and Lamiya Hoque**, as well as **City Manager Aaron France**, **Assistant City Manager Eddie Fenton**, **City Clerk Adria Vicuña**, and **Community Development Director Matt Foulks**.

The project team included **David Woosley**, OSSS Project Lead, and **Michelle Cram**, Regional Director, who helped oversee the development and successful launch of the location.

As part of the celebration, 7-Eleven presented a charitable donation to the **Boys & Girls Club of Buena Park**, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting local youth and community organizations.

Under sunny skies, attendees enjoyed a festive atmosphere filled with live entertainment, community engagement, and family-friendly activities. Bubbles floated through the air while a dancing 7-Eleven Slurpee mascot delighted guests of all ages and Laredo Taco gave visitors a choice between a steak or chicken taco to try. Live music from Latin tribute band **Marcela & Kafe Tekila (@marcelaykafetekila)** energized the crowd as vendors representing products available in-store offered samples and demonstrations.

Standing alongside elected officials, business leaders, and community members during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, representatives from 7-Eleven and the North Orange County Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed customers to the highly visible Beach Boulevard location, signaling a new chapter for one of Buena Park’s most recognizable gateway properties.

The new location also introduces **Laredo Taco Company**, providing fresh food options for travelers, workers, and residents looking to fuel both themselves and their vehicles.

For Buena Park City Councilmember Carlos Franco, the occasion represented more than the opening of a new business.

_“As someone who grew up in Buena Park, I remember when Farrell’s was a destination that welcomed families and visitors from across Southern California,”_ said Franco. _“While our city continues to evolve, it’s encouraging to see new investments breathe life into important properties. This project transforms a long-vacant site into an active community asset that creates jobs, generates economic activity, and provides services to residents and visitors alike.”_

That sense of renewal was shared by longtime Buena Park resident **Maria Gutierrez**, who attended the event with her family.

_“I’ve driven past this corner for years and watched it sit empty,”_ Gutierrez said. _“Seeing it filled with people, music, and families again feels exciting. It shows that Buena Park is continuing to grow while bringing new opportunities to the community.”_

The opening reflects continued investment along the Beach Boulevard corridor, one of Buena Park’s most important economic engines and home to world-renowned attractions, hospitality businesses, restaurants, and retail destinations.

As the ribbon was cut and community members explored the new store, the event served as a reminder that successful economic development is about more than buildings—it is about creating places that bring people together.

## About 7-Eleven

7-Eleven operates one of the world’s largest convenience retail networks, serving millions of customers daily through its stores across North America and around the globe.

## About Laredo Taco Company

Laredo Taco Company serves fresh, made-to-order tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and breakfast favorites inspired by South Texas flavors. Located inside select 7-Eleven stores, the brand offers convenient, high-quality meals for travelers, commuters, and local residents seeking fresh food on the go.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact** Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

## Frequently Asked Questions

We believe in transparency. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we get about our services, process, and pricing.

We're The Right Fit892-5617)

How much should a small nonprofit spend on marketing?

Most small nonprofits invest between **$500 and $2,000 per month** depending on staffing and fundraising goals.

Is nonprofit marketing tax‑deductible?

Yes. Marketing is considered a legitimate program-support or administrative expense depending on its purpose.

Can nonprofits get free advertising?

Yes. The Google Ad Grant provides up to **$10,000/month in search advertising** for eligible organizations.

Is social media enough for nonprofit marketing?

No. Social media supports visibility, but email and websites drive donations.

What Makes Marketing Work for Orange County Nonprofits

Successful organizations treat marketing as **community relationship building**, not promotion.

That means:

- telling real stories - showing measurable impact - making involvement simple - staying consistent month‑to‑month

When those pieces align, marketing begins supporting fundraising instead of competing with it.

Get a Free Community Signal Audit™

If you’re unsure what your nonprofit should invest right now, the best first step is a structured visibility review.

Culture‑Fluent offers a **free Community Signal Audit™** that evaluates:

- your website clarity - donor journey strength - search visibility - email readiness - sponsorship positioning

Organizations typically leave with a clear roadmap for growth—even if they’re not ready to hire an agency yet.

👉 Request your audit and discover where your next supporters are most likely to come from.

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

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#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

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Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

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### _Related_

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Domo Cafe Opens First U.S. Location in Buena Park to Hundreds of Excited FansJune 13, 2026In "Buena Park attractions"

Buena Park High School FFA Wins Multiple Grand Champion Titles at the 2026 Orange County FairJuly 31, 2026In "Agricultural education"

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## From Incarceration to Inspiration: Buena Park Resident Debuts Documentary "The Outcome" in Long Beach

**LONG BEACH, Calif. — June 5, 2026** — Friends, family members, legal advocates, and community supporters gathered at The Art Theatre in Long Beach on Friday evening for the debut screening of **“The Outcome,”** a deeply personal documentary chronicling the journey of Buena Park resident **Kijana Jardan**, who spent 18 months incarcerated before being proven innocent of multiple attempted murder charges.

The documentary, which premiered at **The Art Theatre, 2025 East 4th Street, Long Beach**, tells the story of Jardan’s wrongful incarceration at the **Lynwood Women’s Regional Detention Center**, her fight to clear her name, and her determination to rebuild her life after regaining her freedom.

**Kijana Jardan** stands outside The Art Theatre in Long Beach beneath the marquee for the premiere of _The Outcome_, the documentary chronicling her journey from wrongful incarceration to exoneration. The June 5, 2026 premiere marked a powerful milestone in her life, celebrating resilience, justice, forgiveness, and a renewed commitment to inspiring hope in others facing adversity.

**Photo Credit:** Courtesy of Carlos Franco

More than a story about injustice, _The Outcome_ is ultimately a story about resilience, forgiveness, and hope.

The film takes viewers through one of the most difficult chapters of Jardan’s life while highlighting the emotional toll wrongful incarceration can have on individuals and their families. Yet despite the hardship she endured, Jardan said the experience transformed her perspective on life.

_“Going through everything I went through taught me not to take anything for granted,”_ said Jardan. _“I saw people who never got the opportunity to leave prison. Because of that, I’m more grateful, more forgiving, and more focused on the positive things in life. My hope is that this film reaches people who feel forgotten and reminds them not to give up hope, especially if they know they’re innocent.”_

Since her release, Jardan has focused on rebuilding her future. Earlier this year, she married her husband on Valentine’s Day and is exploring the possibility of adoption. Professionally, she works in the security industry and recently received her **Top Secret security clearance**, a milestone she once thought impossible while incarcerated.

She has also launched **The Outcome Kitchen**, a barbecue catering business inspired by her personal journey and commitment to creating new opportunities.

Looking ahead, Jardan hopes to take her documentary on the road to correctional facilities, community organizations, and educational institutions across the country.

_“If my story can help even one person keep going when they’ve lost hope, then sharing it is worth it,”_ she said.

One of the evening’s most emotional moments occurred after the screening when Jardan embraced her mother, who presented her with a congratulatory gift.

Throughout her daughter’s incarceration, Jardan’s mother faced the pain of watching her child sit behind bars while maintaining faith that justice would ultimately prevail.

_“Watching the film brought back memories that were incredibly difficult,”_ said Jardan’s mother. _“As a mother, your heart breaks when your child is suffering and there’s little you can do. But seeing Kijana standing here today, sharing her story and helping others, fills me with pride.”_

Also in attendance was **Stephanie Dixon**, Deputy Alternate Public Defender, who was appointed by the court to represent Jardan during her legal battle.

Dixon reflected on the journey she witnessed firsthand and expressed admiration for how Jardan has chosen to move forward.

_“I know that she’s just going to continue to grow and be an amazing human,”_ said Dixon. _“What stands out most is that she didn’t allow her circumstances to define her. Instead, she’s using her experience to help others and create something meaningful from an incredibly difficult chapter of her life.”_

Attendees described the documentary as powerful, emotional, and inspiring. The screening concluded with a standing ovation and a discussion about justice, redemption, and the importance of perseverance.

For Jardan, however, the evening was not about revisiting the past.

It was about celebrating the future.

As the audience left the theater, the title of the film seemed to carry a deeper meaning. The outcome was not simply a legal victory. It was a life reclaimed, a family restored, and a renewed commitment to helping others find hope in their darkest moments.

## About "The Outcome"

_The Outcome_ is a documentary film that chronicles the wrongful incarceration and eventual exoneration of Buena Park resident Kijana Jardan. The film explores themes of justice, resilience, family, forgiveness, and personal transformation while encouraging viewers to remain hopeful in the face of adversity.

## About The Outcome Kitchen

Founded by Kijana Jardan, The Outcome Kitchen is a Southern California barbecue catering business dedicated to bringing people together through food, community, and second chances.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Buena Park FIT Committee Celebrates 10 Years of Building a Healthier CommunityAugust 15, 2026In "Ana Lilia Castro Buena Park"

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## Buena Park Rotary Club Installs New Officers, Welcomes Carlos Franco as President

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — July 2026** — The **Buena Park Rotary Club** celebrated a new chapter of leadership during its annual Officer Installation Ceremony, welcoming **Carlos Franco** as Club President for the 2026–2027 Rotary year.

Held at **Gaucho Grill in Buena Park**, the ceremony brought together Rotarians, community leaders, family members, and supporters to recognize the club’s continued commitment to “Service Above Self” while honoring the leadership of **Immediate Past President Shailesh Shah**, owner of Sohm Inc., whose year of service strengthened the club’s impact throughout the Buena Park community.

Newly installed **Buena Park Rotary Club President Carlos Franco** is joined by the 2026–2027 Board of Directors, club members, and community leaders during the club’s annual Officer Installation Ceremony at Gaucho Grill in Buena Park. The evening celebrated a new year of Rotary leadership focused on youth development, community service, cultural connection, and strengthening the tradition of **“Service Above Self.”**

**Photo Credit:** Marco Velarde (@vel\_art\_e)

The installation also introduced a diverse leadership team representing businesses, education, public service, and nonprofit leadership from across Buena Park.

The 2026–2027 Board of Directors includes:

- **President:** Carlos Franco, Founder of Culture-Fluent, Orange County’s Community-Driven Advertising Agency - **Immediate Past President:** Shailesh Shah, Owner of Sohm Inc. - **Treasurer:** Angel Hernandez, CEO of Center City Community Credit Union - **Secretary:** Archie Holton, Co-Founder of Santa Maria BBQ - **Fundraising Chair:** Brian Carver, Firefighter - **Membership Chair:** Rosalind Henderson, Owner of Ignite Core Leadership - **Public Image Chair:** Alesha Camacho, Owner of Minnie’s Market - **Youth Service Chair:** Paulina Cortez, Buena Park High School Agriculture Teacher and Interact Club Advisor - **Sergeant-at-Arms:** Chris Norby, (Ret.) CA State Assembly Member, Orange County Supervisor, and Mayor of Fullerton

During his inaugural remarks, Franco outlined a vision focused on preparing future leaders, celebrating Buena Park’s diverse community while defining its culture, and strengthening Rotary’s role as an organization known not only for service projects, but for meaningful relationships and civic leadership.

_“It is an incredible honor to serve as the next President of the Buena Park Rotary Club,”_ Franco said. _“As I look ahead, I believe we have a unique opportunity to define what the next chapter of Rotary in Buena Park can be.”_

Franco shared three priorities that will guide the club during the coming year.

The first is an expanded investment in youth leadership through the **Buena Park High School Interact Club**(an opportunity available to students outside Buena Park High School as well), where students will be encouraged not only to volunteer, but to develop the confidence and skills needed to become future community leaders.

_“Rotary should be a bridge between today’s leaders and tomorrow’s,”_ Franco said.

His second priority is celebrating Buena Park’s rich cultural diversity and helping define its culture by creating service opportunities that bring together residents, businesses, and organizations from every corner of the community.

Finally, Franco challenged members to redefine what it means to be a Buena Park Rotarian.

_“I want our club to become known for more than meetings,”_ he said. _“I want us to be known for showing up, building friendships, solving problems, and leading with humility. When someone says, ‘They’re a Buena Park Rotarian,’ it should immediately bring to mind service, integrity, optimism, and action.”_

The event also recognized Immediate Past President Shailesh Shah, who was also recognized the week before by Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut during a council meeting, for his dedicated leadership and commitment to expanding Rotary’s presence throughout Buena Park in the last two decades.

Under Shah’s leadership, the club continued supporting youth scholarships, community service initiatives, educational programs, and partnerships with local organizations while maintaining Rotary’s tradition of fellowship and service.

As the ceremonial gavel passed from Shah to Franco, the moment symbolized more than a leadership transition—it reflected Rotary’s enduring mission of developing leaders committed to improving their communities.

With a leadership team representing entrepreneurs, educators, financial professionals, former elected officials, and community advocates, the Buena Park Rotary Club enters the new Rotary year with a renewed commitment to serving Buena Park through collaboration, mentorship, and action.

_“Together,”_ Franco concluded, _“we’ll honor Rotary’s incredible legacy while creating a new one that future generations will be proud to carry forward. Let’s build something that lasts.”_

## About the Buena Park Rotary Club

Founded on Rotary International’s guiding principle of **“Service Above Self,”** the Buena Park Rotary Club celebrated 70 years of bringing together local business leaders, educators, nonprofit professionals, and community members dedicated to improving lives through volunteer service, youth development, scholarships, international humanitarian efforts, and local community partnerships. The club proudly sponsors the Buena Park High School Interact Club and supports projects that strengthen the Buena Park community throughout the year.

## About Rotary International

Rotary International is a global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, and leaders who work together to create lasting change in communities around the world through humanitarian service, peacebuilding, education, disease prevention, clean water initiatives, economic development, and youth leadership.

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#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

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#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

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#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in IndiaSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park Rotary Club"

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness PresentationSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park community safety"

Buena Park High School Interact Club Honors Veterans with Flag Day Rose Garden ProjectJune 23, 2026In "American Legion Post 354"

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## World Cup Fever Unites Communities at The Source OC in Buena Park

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — June 11, 2026** — Hundreds of soccer fans gathered at The Source OC in Buena Park this week as Radio Korea hosted a vibrant World Cup Opening Ceremony celebration, bringing together residents, families, elected officials, and cultural organizations in a display of international pride and community spirit.

The event transformed Buena Park’s premier entertainment destination into a global gathering place, where supporters of nations from around the world celebrated the opening of the FIFA World Cup. Traditional Korean cultural performances, live entertainment, community activities, and public watch parties created a festival atmosphere throughout the day.

Buena Park and La Palma elected officials join community members and performers during the festivities hosted by Radio Korea.

**Photo Credit:** Paulina Cortez (@cortez\_plants)

Fans had plenty to cheer about on the field. Mexico opened tournament play with a commanding **2-0 victory over South Africa**, while Korea secured an exciting **2-1 win against Czechia**. The two victorious nations are now set to face one another on **June 18**, a highly anticipated matchup that generated excitement among attendees representing both countries.

The celebration drew a diverse audience reflective of Buena Park’s multicultural community. Among those attending were **Buena Park Councilmembers Carlos Franco, Joyce Ahn, and Susan Sonne**, as well as **La Palma Mayor Nitesh Patel** and **La Palma Councilmember Janet Keo Conklin**.

For Buena Park City Councilmember Carlos Franco, whose District 2 includes The Source OC, the event represented the best of what makes the city unique.

_“One of the things I love most about Buena Park is that people from different backgrounds can come together around a shared experience,”_ said Franco. _“Whether you’re cheering for Mexico, Korea, or another nation entirely, events like this remind us that sports have a unique ability to bring people together through respect, friendly competition, and good sportsmanship. Today wasn’t just about soccer—it was about community.”_

Throughout the event, attendees could be seen exchanging scarves, taking photos with fans from opposing teams, and learning about one another’s cultures through music, food, and conversation.

Buena Park resident **Min Ryu** said the celebration showcased the city’s welcoming spirit.

_“Seeing so many families and cultures celebrating together made me proud to call Buena Park home,”_ said Ryu. _“Everyone came to support their teams, but what stood out most was how friendly and respectful people were toward one another. It felt like the whole community was participating in something special.”_

The event also highlighted Buena Park’s growing reputation as one of Southern California’s most diverse and internationally connected cities. The Source OC, known for its Korean-inspired retail, dining, and entertainment offerings, provided an ideal backdrop for the celebration, attracting visitors from throughout Orange County and beyond.

As fans look ahead to the June 18 match between Mexico and Korea, organizers hope the tournament will continue creating opportunities for residents to connect through a shared love of the world’s game.

The World Cup Opening Ceremony served as a reminder that while teams compete on the field, communities grow stronger when people come together to celebrate their differences and common passions alike.

## About Radio Korea

Radio Korea is one of the largest Korean-language media organizations in the United States, providing news, entertainment, cultural programming, and community engagement initiatives that connect audiences throughout Southern California and beyond.

## About The Source OC

Located in Buena Park, The Source OC is a premier retail, dining, and entertainment destination known for its diverse mix of international cuisine, specialty shopping, cultural experiences, and community events that attract visitors from across Southern California.

## About Culture-Fluent

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Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

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#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

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#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

Buena Park High School FFA Wins Multiple Grand Champion Titles at the 2026 Orange County FairJuly 31, 2026In "Agricultural education"

Domo Cafe Opens First U.S. Location in Buena Park to Hundreds of Excited FansJune 13, 2026In "Buena Park attractions"

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People hike the Guy Fleming Trail at the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, which is free to visit with the California State Library Parks Pass. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

By Marla Jo Fisher \| mfisher@scng.com \| Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: August 3, 2026 at 9:26 AM PDT

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Did you know you can check out a free pass to visit one or more California state parks — and also borrow a hiking backpack full of stuff like binoculars, flashlight, compass, field guides and more? Such a deal, right? These are available at more than 200 libraries around the state. All you need is a library card, which you can get for free.

The kit includes a hangtag giving you free admission to most state parks, plus the filled backpack. You can borrow it for free for one to three weeks.

The program is designed to make outdoor experiences more accessible to everyone by providing books, equipment, and safety information to beginner-level explorers. They’d also be great for when you have visitors come into town. They’re designed for ages 18 and older.

Participants include the Los Angeles, Riverside, Whittier, Orange, Buena Park, Placentia and Torrance library systems and probably one near you. Each library can set up its own system.

Note that you can’t use the pass everywhere. It’s not good at federal sites like Yosemite, nor at state parks operated by federal or local governments, or private entities. Sadly, you also can’t use it for per-person entry or tour fees like Hearst Castle.

But you can use it at many other popular places, such as Doheny, Malibu Lagoon and Carpinteria state beaches, Crystal Cove, Leo Carrillo, Mount San Jacinto, Chino Hills and Anza-Borrego state parks and lots more.  Click here to see where you can and can’t use the pass: parks.ca.gov/?page\_id=30813

Ronda Rousey and her Dogo Argentino Mochi have some fun at Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu, CA. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)

You can also check out a pass without a backpack, and generally put them on hold like other items. Learn more: library.ca.gov/services/to-libraries/parks-pass/

To get a library card, go into your local library with a California drivers license or ID, plus an item showing your home address, such as a utility bill or similar. At most libraries, it’s free for anyone who lives in California. (A few libraries such as Cerritos charge a fee to non-residents.)

P.S. Got a fourth-grader? Note that they can get a free parks pass good for 54 state parks all season long. Learn more: parks.ca.gov/AdventurePass

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The Buena Park entertainment corridor on Beach Boulevard. Credit: NATALIE CARTWRIGHT, Voice of OC

People driving down Valley View Street from Buena Park to Cerritos could soon see a smoother, easier drive after officials in three cities agreed to overhaul the major thoroughfare by repaving the aging street and repainting faded lines.

It comes after Buena Park city officials approved the overhaul, taking lead in efforts that impact La Palma and Cerritos.

The project will stretch down Valley View Street from Lincoln Avenue to Artesia Boulevard, which is about 2.85 miles – a stretch of road that’s heavily used by cars and trucks, especially since it connects drivers to the 91 and 5 freeways in the area.

According to the cooperative agreement, the purpose of the project is to extend the useful life of the road.

Buena Park Public Works Director Mina Mikhael also said that the project intends to bring a better driving experience.

“The main goal is to provide and enhance a corridor that serves multiple residents \[and\] businesses that stretches across three different cities, and to really revitalize such an important street that affects a lot of different travelers, both vehicles and pedestrians,” Mikhael said during a phone interview.

Buena Park Mayor Connor Traut said the rehabilitation project is going to be funded through the city’s 1-cent sales tax measure adopted by voters in 2024, known as Measure R.

“This is really just making sure that one of our poorest condition roads is repaved and meets the standards that the community deserves and meets the promise of Measure R to the voters,” Traut said during a phone interview.

Construction is projected to start in January 2027, and according to Mikhael, it is estimated to be completed in about four months. The city plans to minimize traffic caused by construction through a phased approach, only doing certain lanes at a time, or operating during off-peak hours.

According to the staff report, the total estimated cost of the project is about $4,700,000, and of this cost, La Palma’s share is estimated at $900,000 while Cerritos’ share is estimated to be $575,000.

The road will receive asphalt pavement rehabilitation, removal and replacement of damaged curbs and gutters, cross gutters, sidewalks, utility adjustments, signing and striping, traffic control plans, and additional signage **~~.~~**

Buena Park will serve as lead agency on the project as majority of the overhaul is within the city limits, and they are responsible for project coordination, design, construction and contract administration.

Valley View Street has an average Pavement Condition Index of 65, which is categorized as a “fair” condition, according to the 2026-2032 Citywide Pavement Management Plan. However, there are parts of the street that are in “poor” conditions.

Mikhael said the road has some structural failures, lots of asphalt cracking, line striping have faded, some landscape medians need attention, and some sidewalks and Americans Disability Act ramps are either broken or cracked.

Mikhael said that the project will not bring traffic light synchronization to the street – which helps ease traffic flow.

Instead, it will focus on the repavement of the road, and possible enhancements to signage and striping.

“It’s really focused on the paving of the road, the striping that gets installed afterwards and any of the signage,” Mikhael said.

In addition, Mikhael added that the city is looking at the potential of adding bike lanes to the street, but Valley View Street might be too narrow for an additional five to six feet bike lane accommodation.

”It’s a bit too tight, and I don’t think that we’ll probably have an opportunity for a designated bike lane along that stretch,” Mikhael said. “We’re still looking to see if there are certain areas where we could add it, where it could make sense, but we wouldn’t want to add bike lanes that lead to nowhere.”

Utility adjustments to the street refers to the leveling of manholes, pull boxes or water valves in the road to the same elevation to make it a smooth surface for cars.

“So when your car drives over \[manholes, pull boxes or water valves\], it’s not a big hump or bump, rather it’s \[an\] even surface with that new asphalt,” Mikhael said.

Improvements to the sidewalks will apply if there are any that are in need of repair.

“The intention is to maintain the existing accessibility,” Mikhael said.

Additionally, it will bring ramps compliant with the Americans Disabilities Act if current ramps are not compliant.

Mikhael said the project is an opportunity for the city to include non-complaint ramps in the project design to bring them up to code. This also applies to additional signage requirements.

Buena Park staff are still finalizing the project design and anticipate to start advertising for bids this month, according to the staff report. Part of the finalizing process of the design is determining if there is any need for up-to-code ramps and additional signage.

The responsibilities of La Palma and Cerritos include reimbursing Buena Park after the project is complete, and reviewing and approving plans for their portions of the project. They can also join Buena Park during inspections.

Traut said that when the city officials repave a road, they look to see what other ways they can enhance quality of life for nearby residents – like planting trees and flowers to not only boost aesthetics, but also reduce noise pollution.

“We’re not just doing one stroke of the brush over a neighborhood, but really seeing how we can entirely enhance the region.”

_Lauren Contreras is a Voice of OC intern. You can reach her at laurencontreras615@gmail.com_.

### _Related_

## Lauren ContrerasSummer 2026 Intern

Lauren Contreras joined Voice of OC as a summer intern in 2026 from Chapman University, where she had already reported for Voice of OC on school board issues and nonprofit animal organizations as part... More by Lauren Contreras

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## Buena Park Noon Lions Club Installs New Officers, Welcomes Art Brown as President

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — July 2026** — The **Buena Park Noon Lions Club** celebrated a new year of leadership during its annual Officer Installation Ceremony, welcoming **Art Brown** as Club President for the 2026–2027 Lions year.

The installation brought together Lions members, community leaders, and longtime volunteers to recognize another year of service dedicated to improving the lives of Buena Park residents through volunteerism, humanitarian projects, and community partnerships.

Members of the **Buena Park Noon Lions Club** gather following the installation of the club’s 2026–2027 officers. Newly installed President **Art Brown** will lead the organization with a vision of expanding community service through partnerships with fellow Lions Clubs, the City of Buena Park, and local nonprofit organizations.

**Photo Credit:** Courtesy Photo

As one of Buena Park’s longest-serving civic organizations, the Noon Lions Club has supported countless local initiatives over the years, including vision screenings, scholarships, youth programs, community events, and charitable causes that strengthen the quality of life throughout the city.

During the ceremony, members reflected on the club’s proud legacy while looking ahead to a new year focused on expanding its impact through collaboration and service.

Newly installed President **Art Brown** shared a vision centered on partnership, community engagement, and increasing opportunities for residents to benefit from Lions service.

_“The strength of the Lions has always been found in neighbors serving neighbors,”_ said Brown. _“This year, my goal is to expand our service throughout Buena Park by partnering more closely with fellow Lions Clubs, the City of Buena Park, local nonprofits, and community organizations. Together, we can create more volunteer opportunities, complete more meaningful projects, and leave a lasting impact that benefits both our residents and the community we proudly call home.”_

Brown emphasized that the coming year will focus not only on traditional Lions service projects but also on building stronger relationships with organizations that share the club’s commitment to community improvement.

The installation ceremony also celebrated the dedication of outgoing officers whose leadership helped continue the club’s mission of service while preparing the next generation of Lions leaders.

Founded on the principle of **“We Serve,”** Lions Clubs International remains one of the world’s largest service organizations, with members volunteering millions of hours annually to address hunger, vision care, disaster relief, youth development, environmental stewardship, and humanitarian needs.

As the ceremonial gavel was passed to Brown, members expressed optimism for the coming year and reaffirmed their commitment to serving Buena Park through compassion, fellowship, and action.

With a renewed spirit of collaboration, the Buena Park Noon Lions Club begins another chapter of service—one rooted in the belief that communities grow stronger when people come together to help one another.

## About the Buena Park Noon Lions Club

The Buena Park Noon Lions Club is dedicated to serving the local community through volunteer service, charitable giving, youth support, vision programs, and partnerships that improve the quality of life for Buena Park residents. Guided by the Lions International motto, **“We Serve,”** the club has been a proud part of the Buena Park community for decades.

## About Lions Clubs International

Founded in 1917, Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization, with nearly 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries and geographic areas. Lions serve their communities through projects focused on vision, hunger relief, childhood cancer, diabetes awareness, environmental sustainability, disaster relief, and youth development.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

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Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness PresentationSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park community safety"

Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in IndiaSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park Rotary Club"

Carlos Franco Installed as President of the Buena Park Rotary ClubJuly 21, 2026In "Buena Park community leaders"

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## 1) Avengers Campus

**_Disney California Adventure_**

### What we know

Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab are under construction in Avengers Campus.

We’ve seen the Stark Flight Lab robot arm ride vehicles in action and scale models of the Avengers Infinity Defense motion-based dark ride vehicles.

### What to expect

We know very little about the storyline for Avengers Infinity Defense.

The big question: Will both rides open at the same time? An opening timeframe will almost certainly be announced at D23.

Dr. Doom is expected to visit DCA when “Avengers: Doomsday” opens in theaters on Dec. 18.

Concept art of the Coco boat ride planned near the Pixar Pier theme land of Disney California Adventure. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 2) Coco ride

_**Disney California Adventure**_

### What we know

Disneyland has broken ground on the Coco boat ride in Pixar Pier.

### What to expect

Now would be the natural time to announce the attraction name, offer up some new concept art and reveal a few story details.

Disneyland is unlikely to lock in an opening date for the Coco ride with the Avengers Campus attractions expected to debut first.

Concept art of the Avatar experience coming to Disney California Adventure. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 3) Avatar themed land

_**Disney California Adventure**_

### What we know

The new land themed to the “Avatar: The Way of Water” film taking over the Hollywood Land studio backlot will feature a boat ride.

### What to expect

We’d like to find out if the attraction will use the Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure ride system from Shanghai Disneyland, but we will likely have to settle for some new concept art.

Fans have lots of questions about how the Avatar land fits into DCA, what happens to the Disneyland Monorail and when Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue will finally close in 2027.

It’s probably too soon to announce a name for the land or when it will open.

Concept art of the Space Mountain makeover coming to Tokyo Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 4) Tomorrowland makeover

_**Disneyland**_

### What we know

Fans have been clamoring for Disneyland to announce a major renovation of Tomorrowland and there are plenty of signs this could finally be the year.

Tokyo Disneyland will open a major renovation of Tomorrowland and Space Mountain in 2027.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Disney turned down Tomorrowland makeover proposed for Disneyland, report says

Disneyland plans to retire the gas engines on Autopia early next year and update the Tomorrowland race track with fully electric vehicles.

Imagineering has been updating the Buzz Lightyear attractions at Florida’s Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland.

The Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom will reopen in 2027 after a major update to the ride’s backstory and timeline.

### What to expect

Disneyland could announce plans for a long-term Tomorrowland makeover at D23 that begins with the Autopia update and continues with a refresh of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

Future plans could bring Tokyo’s reimagined Space Mountain to Anaheim and restore Disneyland’s Carousel of Progress in the mothballed rotating theater in Tomorrowland.

An Autopia announcement seems likely. The rest of the wish list would likely fall into a “more to come” promise from the D23 stage.

The Main Street Electrical Parade returned to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, Aug 2, 2019. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

## 5) Nighttime entertainment

_**Disneyland**_

### What we know

“Fantasmic” fans have been unhappy with the scissor lift Maleficent that replaced the massive animatronic dragon that burst into flames in 2023.

MousePlanet reports the Main Street Electrical Parade could return for a limited-time run in 2027.

### What to expect

“Disneyland fans would love to hear a big reveal about a very special dragon returning to Fantasmic,” according to Nexstar theme park reporter Scott Gustin. “The Honda Center will explode if that one happens.”

_**ALSO SEE:**_ The cursed history of Disneyland’s problematic ‘Fantasmic’ dragon that burst into flames

Disneyland brings back the Electrical Parade whenever it needs an entertainment boost in between new attractions. Will the nighttime parade that never “glows away” return again in 2027? We’ll find out on Saturday night.

Concept art of the Indiana Jones attraction that will be part of the new Tropical Americas themed land debuting at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2027. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 6) Tropical Americas themed land

_**Disney’s Animal Kingdom**_

### What we know

The new 11-acre Pueblo Esperanza land is scheduled to debut in 2027 with an Encanto boat ride and Indiana Jones dark ride.

An Encanto-themed land was pitched as a possible project for a proposed theme park expansion in the DisneylandForward plan approved by the city of Anaheim.

### What to expect

The “Horizons” showcase would be the perfect time to reveal more of the storyline for the Indy ride and narrow the land’s opening date to “summer 2027.”

Disney could roll out a massive scale model of the Tropical Americas and show off the Encanto ride vehicles in the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion on the D23 convention floor.

Concept art of the Monsters Inc. door coaster coming to the Monstropolis themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 7) Monstropolis themed land

_**Disney’s Hollywood Studios**_

### What we know

The Monsters Inc. land replacing the Muppets Courtyard at the Florida theme park will feature a Boo’s bedroom door suspended roller coaster, Harryhausen’s restaurant and Glob Theater show.

### What to expect

Disney could reveal the coaster’s name and more details about the ride, restaurant and show.

An opening window could be announced for the land that is expected to debut in the next few years.

Concept art of the Cars off-road rally race thrill ride coming to the Piston Peak National Park themed land at the Magic Kingdom. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 8) Piston Peak National Park themed land

_**Magic Kingdom**_

### What we know

The Cars-themed land will feature an off-road rally race thrill ride and second attraction geared toward younger kids.

### What to expect

Revealing the name for the big E-Ticket ride and filling in the backstory of the attraction would be the natural next steps.

Not much is known about the kiddie ride and some new concept art would stoke imaginations and build excitement.

Disney could unveil a scale model of the Piston Peak National Park land in the Imagineering pavilion on the D23 floor.

An opening date is unlikely to be announced for the Cars-themed land that is expected to debut in the next few years.

Concept art of the Disney Villains themed land coming to the Magic Kingdom. (Courtesy of Walt Disney World)

## 9) Disney Villains themed land

_**Magic Kingdom**_

### What we know

The villains-themed land featuring two major attractions is Disney’s answer to the monster-themed Dark Universe land at Universal Epic Universe in Florida.

### What to expect

Some new concept art and additional attraction details about the Disney Villains land would fuel the already feverish fan anticipation.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Disneyland abandoned plans for Disney Villains land, report says

Speculation has focused on rides themed to Maleficent and Ursula and restaurants themed to Hades and Kronk.

Concept art of the Spider-Man coaster coming to the new Spider-Man themed land coming to Shanghai Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 10) Spider-Man themed land

_**Shanghai Disneyland**_

### What we know

A Spider-Man thrill coaster will anchor the new Spider-Man themed land under construction at the Chinese park.

### What to expect

Disney could release more concept art of the land and announce the coaster name along with an opening date.

Concept art of the new Avengers drop tower ride coming to the Stark Expo expansion at Hong Kong Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 11) Avengers ride

_**Hong Kong Disneyland**_

### What we know

The expansion of the Stark Expo land will add a new Avengers-themed drop tower attraction and Marvel-themed entertainment.

### What to expect

Disney could announce the name and reveal the backstory for the new ride along with an opening date for the expansion.

Concept art of the Pride Rock water ride in the Lion King themed land under construction in the Disney Adventure World theme park at the Disneyland Paris resort in France. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 12) Lion King themed land

_**Disney Adventure World**_

### What we know

A Simba-themed water flume ride similar to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be the marquee attraction in the Lion King land coming to the recently reimagined Disneyland Paris second gate.

### What to expect

Disney has not yet revealed the name of the ride or released much concept art of the land.

Concept art released by Disney shows the new Disneyland Abu Dhabi theme park planned for the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. (Courtesy of Disney)

## 13) Disneyland Abu Dhabi

_**United Arab Emirates**_

### What we know

Disney released vague concept art of its first park in the Middle East before the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.

_**ALSO SEE:**_ Disneyland Abu Dhabi promises to be very un-Disney — contemporary, modern and cutting edge

### What to expect

Disney only needs to mention Abu Dhabi during D23 to acknowledge the project remains in the earliest blue sky phase of development.

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# ‘67’ things to do with tweens and teens in L.A. that will blow their minds

By L.A. Times Staff

June 16, 2026 3 AM PT

For Subscribers

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Teenagers — they’re a tricky bunch to entertain. They’ve outgrown all the beloved kiddie spots you once relied on, and, well, they look so peaceful with their devices and NeeDohs and skin care regimens. Must we really strip them out of their element?

Yes, I say. We must.

Though the adolescent population might not be easy to thrill (my 13-year-old daughter rated the last three movies I recommended as “mid”), they long for great IRL adventures like the rest of us. And L.A. has plenty in store for them, whether crafty, sporty, daring, delicious or sneakily educational. There’s a West Hollywood karaoke spot where they can belt the latest Billie Eilish hit and a Pasadena sim center where they can drive real race cars on laser-scanned tracks. Or perhaps they’d enjoy a Little Tokyo design studio where they can DIY the phone case of their dreams or a Silver Lake photo booth museum where they can experience the analog world of yore.

We’ve made a whole list of activities — “6-7” of them, to be exact. (By the way, my teenage informants have told me that nobody says “6-7” anymore but I have already committed.)

So embark on a fun outing with your favorite teen or tween, and maybe their squad. And then, as they proceed to have the best time ever, smile as they shower you with effusive gratitude and compliments. Or more likely, as they give you a “thanks, bruh” before requesting an extra hour of screen time.

_— Michelle Woo, West Coast Experiences editor_

About This Guide

Our journalists independently visited every spot recommended in this guide. We do not accept free meals or experiences. What should we check out next? Send ideas to guides@latimes.com.

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## Watch a film or the big game at immersive domed venue Cosm

Inglewood Entertainment Venue

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(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

By Todd Martens

Think of it as part planetarium, part mini-Sphere. Cosm is a newer entry in L.A.’s still-burgeoning immersive space, one that taps into our long-held desire to be enveloped in panoramic visions.

A domed, 87-foot-diameter wraparound screen surrounds audiences at the Inglewood venue, creating an illusion of in-the-flesh presence. Can’t make it to that NBA Finals or World Series game? Cosm wants to be your fallback plan, combining front-row-like seats with unexpected views.

Though the venue specializes in sports, it has released three collaborations with Warner Bros. for what it deems “experiential film.” Currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Cosm’s screenings outfit the original film with additional effects and environments. For instance, in a memorable early scene, letters go a-flying any which way we look — up, down, left and right. Later on, the train to Hogwarts is seemingly stretched to infinity. And when Harry and pals traverse a moving staircase, the portraits on the wall, whose characters occasionally come alive, start to envelop us.

“We’re leaning into the experiential side,” Cosm Chief Executive Jeb Terry told me last year. Art, increasingly, is maximized to encompass us, and Cosm understands this moment well.

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## Embrace an old-school ritual at the Photo Booth Museum

Silver Lake Experience

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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

By Christopher Reynolds

For teens who grew up with digital photography, a photo booth is a sort of visual adventure — a selfie with “analog magic.” And at $6.50 to $8.50 for a strip of four photos, it’s more affordable than plenty of other entertainment options.

At Silver Lake’s Photo Booth Museum, they can embrace the old-school ritual by stepping into restored booths — two of which date to the 1950s. The 1,350-square-foot space is designed to look “as if you walked into a Wes Anderson movie set,” said Kelsey Schmidt of Photomatica, the company behind the experience.

Is this at all like a traditional museum experience? No. Though visitors might learn a little about photography history, the core activity is taking photos with friends to hold in your hand and hang on your walls.

The machines are retrofitted to accept credit cards and Apple Pay, but otherwise the technology is original on the old machines — which means no retakes and a three- to five-minute wait for image processing. The film-based booths print black-and-white images only; the digital booth offers a choice of color or black and white.

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Vermont / Santa Monica Station

1.1 miles, 23-min walk

Walk times may vary. Walking estimates for distances over 1.5 miles are not shown.

## Enter an anime world at Little Tokyo's One Piece Cafe

Downtown L.A. Restaurant

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(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

ByKarla Marie Sanford

This viral cafe in Little Tokyo brings an epic anime series to life. “One Piece” follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of becoming the Pirate King, and his band of Straw Hat Pirates as they seek the “One Piece” treasure. Now L.A. fans are flocking to One Piece Cafe, eager to try Japanese dishes inspired by characters like Sanji’s “Diable Jambe” Chicken Katsu Sando, with 24-hour brined chicken served on sweet honey milk bread, and Zoro’s Onigiri, in honor of the character’s love of rice and a nod to his precision as a swordsman.

The interior dons a nautical theme, with walls that mimic the wooden deck of a pirate ship and characters depicted inside portholes. Branded merchandise includes Luffy’s signature straw hat, themed key chains and even a “Wanted” license plate. Drinks, ranging from slushies to matcha horchata, come in collectible cups.

“One Piece” by Eiichiro Oda is the bestselling manga of all time. New audiences were introduced to the franchise in 2023, when Netflix released a massively successful live-action rendition.

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Little Tokyo / Arts District Station

0.3 miles, 7-min walk

Walk times may vary. Walking estimates for distances over 1.5 miles are not shown.

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## Try puppy, goat or kitty yoga at Laughing Frog Yoga

Sawtelle Yoga studio

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(Alisha Jucevic / For The Times)

ByAdam Markovitz

Trust us: It’s almost physically impossible not to smile the first time you settle into puppy pose with actual puppies scampering around, under and on top of you.

Equal parts cuteness and chaos, the animal-focused activities at Laughing Frog studio — which also offers goat yoga and kitty yoga — mix relaxing asanas with a playful, petting-zoo atmosphere. This might not be the ideal class for hardcore yogis, but it’s perfect for kids or teens looking for an offbeat activity. (Just be sure to opt for a rental mat so you don’t have to clean paw or hoof prints off your own.)

“It’s so refreshing to be able to offer something that brings out your inner child,” says Laughing Frog owner Kareem Mitha. “By the end of class, everyone is smiling and feeling connected to each other. It brings so much lightness into your day.”

Laughing Frog’s indoor studio also offers a daily assortment of easygoing classes with a focus on traditional, animal-free yoga, including Good Morning Yoga and Let Go & Flow.

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26th Street / Bergamot Station

1.4 miles, 30-min walk

Walk times may vary. Walking estimates for distances over 1.5 miles are not shown.

## Jump into a lake of slime at Sloomoo Institute Los Angeles

Beverly Grove Experience

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(Robyn Breen Shinn / For The Times)

By Michelle Woo

Housed in a boxy, Barbie-pink building on Fairfax Avenue, Sloomoo Institute, L.A.’s first and only slime museum, lets you interact with the sticky, gooey, gloppy substance in more ways than you’ve probably ever considered. You can get doused under a waterfall of slime (you’re protected with a poncho and shower cap). You can feel slime under your bare feet at Sloomoo Lake. You can catapult slime at unsuspecting family members. You can stretch slime, you can squish slime, you can stick globs of slime onto a wall of slime.

And you can make your own slime. The process requires quite a bit of tough decision-making. What texture would you like? Butter? Clear? Cloud creme? Jelly? Icee? And what scent do you prefer? There’s a wall of different sample smells, from gummy bears to fresh-baked bread to dirt. Once you’ve selected your color and mix-ins, squish, roll and swirl it all together to reveal your DIY slime creation that you get to take home. (Parents, don’t worry — an air-tight container comes with it.)

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Wilshire / Fairfax Station

1 mile, 21-min walk

Walk times may vary. Walking estimates for distances over 1.5 miles are not shown.

## Zip, zoom and soar on the Inglewood Pumptrack, a 'Disneyland for bikes'

Inglewood Park

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(Alisha Jucevic / For The Times)

By Kailyn Brown

Inside the sprawling Edward Vincent Jr. Park, there’s an area that’s always alive with action: the Inglewood Pumptrack. On the wavy, asphalt track that resembles a modern sculpture emerging out of a grassy field, cyclists of all levels zoom around, showcasing tricks and testing their endurance on hills, rollers and berms. On a pump track, instead of pedaling or pushing the bike forward, riders perform an up-and-down pumping motion with their bodies to maintain momentum.

The site — launched by Grow Cycling Foundation and billed as L.A.’s first pump track — features two asphalt courses, the Woodlands and World Championship tracks. Woodlands, which is smaller and surrounds a host of trees, has smaller rollers and is designed for slower speeds, whereas the colossus World Championship track, which is wider with large rollers, was built in a mirrored design so two riders can race in opposite directions at the same time. Both tracks are open to all ages and levels.

Other wheels such as skateboards, longboards and rollerblades are welcome at the pump track on specific days of the week.

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Fairview Heights Station

0.8 miles, 16-min walk

Walk times may vary. Walking estimates for distances over 1.5 miles are not shown.

## Get a first taste of corporate greed at premium L.A. escape room the Ladder

Arlington Heights Escape Room

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(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

By Todd Martens

There’s word that the company you work for is corrupt. Should you investigate and see what ethics are being breached, or play dumb and stay loyal to the firm? One of L.A.’s most ambitious escape rooms, the Ladder from Hatch Escapes counts on guests to come for the puzzles and stay for the story.

Think of it as a 90-minute interactive movie with puzzles, taking you through five decades, beginning in the 1950s, in which you will play an exaggerated game of corporate life. Start in the mailroom and work your way through secretarial and middle-management-themed areas, all the while mixing puzzles, games and choose-your-own-adventure-like choices.

You may find yourself playing a game of memory around digitally enhanced cocktail glasses. Or perhaps you’ll choose to investigate a wall-long switchboard, listening to callers’ problems and trying to connect them with a solution. Elsewhere, in an area dedicated to the 1980s, Nintendo’s “Donkey Kong” gets remixed as “Bossy Kong,” with a suited villain rather than a gorilla trying to thwart your progress. The final room — the corner office — is group game chaos inspired by the popular collaborative video game “Spaceteam,” complete with fully animated windows overlooking a city.

Hatch Escapes has garnered national attention for offering a boundary-pushing experience with the Ladder, which has a minimum age of 13. Teens can get a taste of the corporate world — and see how corruptible they really are.

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## Skate the night away at Moonlight Rollerway

Glendale Roller Skating Rink

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(Carla Blumenkrantz / For The Times)

ByJessie Schiewe

Generations of Angelenos have been wheeling and stumbling across the maple wood rink at Moonlight Rollerway since the 1950s. Its history traces back to World War II, when the building operated as an airplane parts foundry, but all traces of its wartime origins have been obliterated by twinkling lights, hanging disco balls and the snazziest rainbow swirl carpet you ever did see.

Moonlight Rollerway is open only at night: Wednesdays are “Rainbow Skate” for the queer community; Thursdays feature throwbacks from the 1970s through 1990s; and every other Friday is dedicated to R&B. Nearly half the crowd brings in their own skates, so on any given visit, you can expect to see some moves.

But you don’t need to be a pro to skate here. Those just starting out, or still struggling to stay upright, can sign up for training classes taught at the rink or skills classes that teach tricks like skating backwards. It’s a friendly place, where a light-up flower crown lost by a novice skater after a fall will almost surely be returned to its owner by another skater sturdy enough to bend over and pick it up.

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## Sing your heart out at West Hollywood's new karaoke spot Mic Drop

West Hollywood Karaoke

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(Jessica Lee)

By Kailyn Brown

After visiting karaoke spots around the globe, brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer decided it was time for them to open one of their own — one with glamorous decor, concert-level sound and delicious food and drinks. In April, they debuted Mic Drop, an upscale karaoke lounge with 13 private karaoke rooms and an electrifying main stage, where you can feel like a rock star in front of a cheering audience.

The venue used to be 21 and up, but as of late May, Mic Drop opened up their decked-out, private karaoke bookings to guests ages 10 and up. With haze machines, dancing spotlights and a catalog of more than 600,000 songs, it’s the perfect spot to host a birthday party, family fun-day or team outing. Order the tater tots, the Fuhgeddaboudit (made with pastrami, pickles and mustard) and the Deluscious chocolate chip cookie that just so happens to be vegan and gluten free.

Such reservations must end by 9 p.m. and a guardian (21+) has to be present. Rooms with underage guests will not be served alcohol beverages, but patrons 21 and up are welcome to grab a drink at the main bar. The main stage experience is limited to those 21 and up.

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## Make 3D art, podcasts, short films and more at Octavia Lab at Central Library

Downtown L.A. Library

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(Keith Kessler / Los Angeles Public Library)

By Dakota Kim

You might think of a 3D printer as a high-tech piece of hardware, but it has surprisingly practical applications. If your teen needs new glasses or clothing hangers, they can print them at Octavia Lab, the DIY maker space named after science fiction writer and Central Library patron Octavia E. Butler, located on Lower Level 2 of the Central Library next to the Science, Technology and Patents Department. But they can also print whatever fun or wacky thing they desire — an anime figurine, Dungeons & Dragons dice or a phone stand.

First, learn the basics of Tinkercad, a free, 3D design tool that’s browser-based, and prepare the design at home. Then sign up with a Los Angeles Public Library card, fill out a membership form to use the space and make a reservation beforehand (phone or in-person only) to use the facilities. Tweens and teens ages 12 and above can work independently on projects that include visual art, podcasts, music, film, sewing and embroidery, and archivism and storytelling. Software available spans a wide range, including GarageBand, Ableton, LogicPro and Adobe.

Low-cost parking is available at the 524 S. Flower St. garage (get your validation at the Info desk on the main floor)

## **North Orange County**

#### **Morning Meditation**

Start the day with a guided meditation session at the Yorba Linda Public Library.

**When:** _October 25_, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

**Where:** 4852 Lakeview Ave., Yorba Linda, CA 92886

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the library at (714) 777-2873

#### **Halloween Crafts**

Take the kids for an afternoon of Halloween crafting at the Buena Park Library. While supplies last, attendees can make paper plate spider webs and paper bag monster puppets.

**When:** _October 25_, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

**Where:** 7150 La Palma Ave., Buena Park CA 90620

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the library at (714) 826-4100

#### **Crochet**

Ages 12+ are welcome to crochet a water bottle bag at the Canyon Hills Library in Anaheim. No crochet experience is required.

**When:** _October 25_, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

**Where:** 400 Scout Trail, Anaheim, CA 92807

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the library at (714) 765-6444

## **Central Orange County**

#### **Wilderness Access Day**

Mission Viejo resident Laurie Ha , 41, (right) and a friend finish hiking one of the newly opened trails at Saddleback Wilderness, part of OC Parks’ Irvine Ranch Open Space in Orange, Calif. on Satuday, April 8, 2023. (CREDIT:Jack Sundblad/VOICE OF OC)

Hike 3.3 miles of trails in the Saddleback Wilderness during a scheduled access day.

No registration is required, but access is first-come, first-served until parking capacity is reached.

**When:** _October 25_, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

**Where:** 3081 Santiago Canyon Road, Orange, CA 92869

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the Irvine Ranch Conservancy at info@irconservancy.org or visit letsgooutside.org

#### **Bilingual Storytime**

Children of all learning levels are welcome to a storytime in Vietnamese and English at the Fountain Valley Library.

**When:** _October 25_, 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

**Where:** 17635 Los Alamos, Fountain Valley, CA

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the library at (714) 962-1324

#### **Movie at the Library**

The entrance to the Costa Mesa Donald Dungan Library on April 28, 2024. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Enjoy a screening of the 1956 version of  “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”  at the Costa Mesa Donald Dungan Library.

**When:** _October 26_, 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

**Where:** 1855 Park Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92627

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the library (949) 646-8845

## **Coastal Orange County**

#### **Trail Stewardship**

Sunit Nangia from Laguna Niguel, Calif. helps collect seed at Laguna Canyon Foundation Headquarters on Oct. 5, 2024. Credit: FASHION CASTILLO, Voice of OC

Volunteer to take care of local hiking trails in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Volunteers will assist with clearing drains tl, pruning plants and moving dirt to restore impacted areas.

Registration is required.

**When:** _October 25_, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

**Where:** 10 Phillips St., Laguna Beach, CA 92651

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact volunteer@lagunacanyon.org

#### **Adult Halloween Crafts**

Make a “spooky” birdhouse craft at the Dana Point Library. The program is for adults only.

**When:** _October 25_, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

**Where:** 33841 Niguel Rd., Dana Point, CA 92629

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the library at (949) 496-5517

#### **Visit the HB International Surfing Museum**

A mural by Donald “DJ Mac” MacDonald on the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum on May 21, 2023. The piece was originally painted in 1996. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC.

Learn about the history of surfing at the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, a nonprofit museum located downtown.

The museum is free to enter, but donations are appreciated.

**When:** _October 25 & 26_, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

**Where:** 411 Olive Ave., Huntington Beach, Ca 92648

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the museum at (714) 960-3483

## **South Orange County**

#### **Outdoor Volunteering**

Marjorie Rhodes, Laguna Canyon Foundation Restoration Project Manager, stops to talk to a volunteer about the native plant seed that they are collecting in Laguna Beach, Calif. on Oct. 5, 2024. Credit: FASHION CASTILLO, Voice of OC

Spend time volunteering in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park alongside Laguna Canyon Foundation staff. Assist with removing weeds, watering, collecting seeds and planting native species.

No experience is necessary, but registration is required.

**When:** _October 25_, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

**Where:** _Aliso Viejo Community Park_, 150 Cedarbrook, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact volunteer@lagunacanyon.org or dulce@lagunacanyon.org with any questions.

#### **Open Sewing Lab**

Teens ages 14+ and adults are welcome to the Laguna Niguel Library’s open sewing lab. Receive support and inspiration for sewing projects.

Participants are asked to register by emailing ocpl.lagunaniguel@occr.ocgov.com or by calling the library.

**When:** _October 25_, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

**Where:** 30341 Crown Valley Pkwy., Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact the library at (949) 249-5252

#### **Día de Los Muertos Celebration**

Maria Martinez, Program Coordinator at Roosevelt Walker Community Center, standing in front of an altar at a free Día de Los Muertos celebration held at the center’s community garden on Nov. 1, 2023. Martinez is dressed as La Catrina, a symbolic figure rooted in Mexican culture. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC.

Celebrate Día de Los Muertos in a free community festival at the Norman Murray Center in Mission Viejo. Attendees can enjoy live mariachi music, dancing, artisan vendors, cultural food, free craft workshops and beautiful community _ofrendas_ honoring loved ones who have passed.

Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated by Latinos during the first two days of November in Mexico, the United States, and in other Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Ecuador, El Salvador and Bolivia.

People memorialize their loved ones by constructing altars with photographs of the deceased, food and unique offerings that relate to the person’s life.

**When:** _October 25_, 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

**Where:** _Norman P. Murray Community Center_, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, CA

**Cost:** Free

For more details, contact Carol Manley, Mission Viejo Activities Committee Event Coordinator, at (949) 338-6061 or cmanley@cityofmissionviejo.org

_If you know of a free public agency event that the Voice of OC should be aware of, send an email to etaylor@voiceofoc.org_

_For more events, please refer to the Voice of OC Calendar._

### _Related_

## Erika TaylorFormer Reporting Fellow and Photojournalist

etaylor@voiceofoc.org

Erika Taylor was a Tracy A. Wood reporting fellow and photojournalist at Voice of OC, covering transportation, libraries, culture and open space across the county.

Taylor started reporting for Voice... More by Erika Taylor

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## Buena Park High School Interact Club Plants Rose Garden in Honor of Veterans on Flag Day

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — June 14, 2026** — In a meaningful display of service, patriotism, and gratitude, members of the **Buena Park High School Interact Club** spent Flag Day planting a new rose garden at **American Legion Post 354** before participating in the organization’s annual officer installation ceremony.

The project, led by the student service club, was designed to beautify the American Legion grounds while creating a lasting tribute to the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

Members of the **Buena Park High School Interact Club**, alongside **American Legion Post 354 Commander Robert Juarez**, **Agriculture teacher and Rotary Advisor Paulina Cortez**, and volunteers, plant a new rose garden on Flag Day at American Legion Post 354 in Buena Park. The student-led service project was completed prior to the Post’s officer installation ceremony, where Interact members personally thanked local veterans for their service, creating a lasting tribute to patriotism, gratitude, and community service.

**Photo Credit:** Paulina Cortez (@cortez\_plants)

Following the garden project, Interact Club members attended the installation ceremony for the Post’s incoming officers. After the formal proceedings concluded, each student introduced themselves to the veterans in attendance and shared words of appreciation for their military service, creating an intergenerational exchange centered on respect, service, and civic responsibility.

The event reflected the shared mission of both organizations: developing future leaders while honoring those whose sacrifices have preserved the freedoms future generations enjoy.

For **Paulina Cortez**, Agriculture teacher at Buena Park High School and the Interact Club’s on-campus Rotary Advisor, the project represented an opportunity for students to learn that service extends beyond the classroom.

_“A garden begins with planting something today that you may not fully enjoy until tomorrow,”_ said Cortez. _“That’s also what service is. Our students weren’t simply planting roses—they were planting gratitude, learning that leadership means caring for the people and places that have shaped our community. Watching them speak directly with our veterans reminded me that the strongest lessons are often learned through meaningful relationships, including those with RV Nursery and Nava Nursery, who donated the roses and mulch.”_

American Legion Post 354 Commander **Robert Juarez** said the students left a lasting impression on the veterans who attended the ceremony.

_“Seeing these young people spend their Flag Day serving others gave all of us hope,”_ said Juarez. _“The rose garden will continue to bloom for years, but what I’ll remember most is hearing each student stand up, introduce themselves, and sincerely thank our veterans. Those moments remind us that the values of respect, service, and patriotism are being carried forward by the next generation.”_

The newly planted rose garden now serves as a permanent reminder of the partnership between Buena Park High School’s Interact Club and American Legion Post 354—a living symbol of appreciation that will continue to grow alongside the relationships formed that day.

As Flag Day came to a close, students left with more than volunteer hours. They departed with a deeper understanding that honoring the nation’s flag also means honoring the people who have defended it.

For the veterans, the day offered reassurance that the spirit of service remains alive in Buena Park’s next generation.

## About Buena Park High School Interact Club

Sponsored by the **Buena Park Rotary Club**, the Buena Park High School Interact Club empowers students through community service, leadership development, and civic engagement. Members organize volunteer projects throughout the year that strengthen the community while preparing students to become future leaders.

## About American Legion Post 354

American Legion Post 354 has proudly served Buena Park’s veterans and their families for generations, promoting patriotism, mentoring youth, supporting fellow veterans, and preserving the values of military service through community engagement and advocacy.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

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#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

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#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Carlos Franco Installed as President of the Buena Park Rotary ClubJuly 21, 2026In "Buena Park community leaders"

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in IndiaSeptember 25, 2026In "Buena Park Rotary Club"

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## Acacia Quilt Guild Stitches Together Support for Buena Park High School FFA Students Ahead of the 2026 OC Fair

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — July 2026** — As Buena Park High School FFA students prepared for months of competition at the 2026 Orange County Fair, they received an unexpected gift that blended craftsmanship, compassion, and community spirit.

Members of the **Acacia Quilt Guild** created handmade lamb and goat covers for Buena Park High School FFA students competing at the **2026 Orange County Fair**, helping protect the animals while demonstrating the power of community support. The handcrafted gifts became lasting symbols of encouragement for student exhibitors throughout their award-winning fair season.

Members of the **Acacia Quilt Guild** handcrafted custom lamb and goat covers for Buena Park High School FFA exhibitors, providing practical protection for the animals while adding a personal touch that reflected the pride and dedication behind each student’s livestock project.

The handmade covers, sewn with care by guild members, among the many, **Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Swift** and **Isabel Cervantes**, helped protect the animals from the elements throughout fair week while showcasing the remarkable partnership between local artisans and the next generation of agricultural leaders.

The project highlighted a simple but powerful idea: when one generation shares its talents with another, everyone benefits.

_“Quilting has always been about caring for others,”_ said **Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Swift**, member of the Acacia Quilt Guild. _“When we learned about the commitment these students make to raising and caring for their animals, we knew this was a meaningful way to support them. Every stitch represented our encouragement and admiration for the discipline, responsibility, and heart these young people demonstrate every day.”_

Fellow guild member **Isabel Cervantes** said the project quickly became about more than sewing.

_“These blankets are a reminder that a community succeeds when people use their unique gifts to help one another,”_ Cervantes said. _“We hope every student who received one knows that there are people cheering them on—not just at the fair, but in life.”_

For **Paulina Cortez**, Buena Park High School Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor, the donation exemplified the spirit that makes agricultural education so impactful.

_“Agriculture is built on community,”_ said Cortez. _“Our students spend months caring for their animals before most people ever see them in the show ring. Receiving these handmade covers reminded them that their hard work is recognized and appreciated by people beyond our program. It’s acts of kindness like this that teach students they are part of something much larger than themselves.”_

Among the grateful recipients was FFA student **Yanitza Ortiz**, who said the handmade gift made the experience even more meaningful.

_“Knowing someone took the time to make something specifically for my lamb meant so much,”_ Ortiz said. _“It wasn’t just a blanket—it was a reminder that our community believes in us and wants us to succeed. It made me feel proud to represent Buena Park.”_

Student exhibitor **Lexi Aguilar** said the custom covers quickly became one of her favorite memories from the fair.

_“Our lambs arrived at the OC Fair looking their very best thanks to many incredibly generous women,”_ Aguilar said. _“The handmade covers didn’t just make them look beautiful—they kept them comfortable throughout the week and reminded us that so many people were supporting us behind the scenes. Every time I put the cover on my lamb, I thought about the kindness and care that went into making it.”_

The handcrafted covers accompanied Buena Park FFA students through an exceptionally successful fair season, where the chapter earned **Grand Champion Market Beef, Grand Champion Market Lamb, and Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb, Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Market Broilers** honors.

While championship banners celebrated excellence in the show ring, the handmade gifts from the Acacia Quilt Guild became another lasting symbol of what made the season special.

They represented a community investing in its young people—not only through awards, but through encouragement, generosity, and shared purpose.

As the fair came to a close, students returned home with ribbons, lifelong memories, and handmade reminders that success is rarely achieved alone. It is built through families, teachers, volunteers, mentors, and neighbors who quietly lend their talents to help others thrive.

## About the Acacia Quilt Guild

The Acacia Quilt Guild is a community organization dedicated to preserving the art of quilting while using its members’ talents to serve others through handcrafted projects, education, and charitable giving. The guild regularly supports local organizations and community initiatives through acts of creativity and generosity.

## About Buena Park High School FFA

The Buena Park High School FFA Chapter prepares students for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Combining classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experiences, and leadership development, FFA equips students with practical skills, responsibility, and confidence that extend far beyond the classroom.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

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#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

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#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

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Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

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### _Related_

Buena Park High School FFA Wins Multiple Grand Champion Titles at the 2026 Orange County FairJuly 31, 2026In "Agricultural education"

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Buena Park Celebrates Grand Opening of New Flagship 7-Eleven/ Laredo Taco on Beach BoulevardJune 8, 2026In "7-Eleven Buena Park"

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Hope School in Buena Park, CA, on Monday, January 19, 2026. The Anaheim Union High School District Board unanimously decided to open up the 18-acre Hope School property for project proposals and redevelopment. Discussions have focused on turning the site into employee housing, market-rate housing, health care facilities or something similar. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

By Victoria Le \| victoriale@scng.com

PUBLISHED: August 14, 2026 at 7:41 AM PDT

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The Anaheim Union High School has several redevelopment proposals in hand for its now-vacant Hope School property.

Hope School, the district’s only dedicated special needs school, opened in 1969 at 7901 Knott Ave., in Buena Park, and eventually grew to serve more than 200 students.

But this school year going forward, Hope’s student body and staff will receive their education two miles down the street at the former Orangeview Junior High School campus. The junior high was combined with Western High, on the high school campus, at the start of last school year.

In 2023, amid financial woes and dwindling enrollment, the district board decided the Hope campus could be redeveloped to bolster coffers and benefit the community.

The board recently reviewed six redevelopment proposals that proffer up to 589 housing units and some acreage reserved for a healthcare component that’ll be fine-tuned in the coming months.

“This is an extraordinarily strong showing,” district legal counsel Tao Rossini said of the proposals during a presentation to the board.

“They’re able to develop your property and you’re going to make money from the projects,” he said. “We’ve satisfied many of your components that you’re looking for. Now, it’s refining.”

#### The proposals

Community HousingWorks: The San Diego-based, nonprofit developer is proposing 589 units — 36 townhomes, 126 workforce housing units and 429 affordable housing units — with some 5 acres allotted for a healthcare facility.

The project would be built and funded in phases using a mix of tax credits and state and private funds.

MW Investment Group and C&C Development: The developers propose to build 255 market-rate townhomes with 85 workforce apartments.

There would be a 99-year lease for the 14.9-acre residential portion of the property, and the school district would get an estimated $540,000 annually, with rent increasing 2.5% each year to generate a total of $227.4 million in revenue over the lease’s lifespan.

The proposal reserves up to five acres for a healthcare project, with “conversations underway with KCS and Coalition OC to program the space,” a presentation to board members said.

Storm Properties: A proposal by the Los Angeles-based developer envisions a mix of rentals and townhomes to “replace aging housing stock and specifically attract families to drive district enrollment.”

There would be 125 market-rate, 75 low-income, and 50 moderate-income homes to total 250 housing units atop 12.5 acres. The proposal leaves 7.5 acres for a healthcare or professional facility.

The developer is proposing to pay the district $1.17 million annually with a 10% increase every 10 years.

TAIT & Greystar: Developers TAIT, of Santa Ana, and Greystar, of Charleston, are pitching 250 market-rate units with 90 affordable and workforce units that won’t require district funds to build.

And the developers envision an “educational wellness village” that would have a health learning center with a childcare facility.

The Michaels Organization: The 18-acre residential campus proposed featuring garden-style apartments — with 140 low-income, tax-credit apartments and 250 workforce units — would be “targeted at young families and district staff.”

There’s no healthcare component proposed yet, but the plan leaves “two acres with existing buildings for the district to run.”

USA Properties: The proposal by Roseville-headquartered USA Properties focuses on housing and would deliver 500 units, with 300 units as affordable apartments and 200 as build-to-rent townhomes that would share connected paseos.

USA Properties also envisions a 2,000-square-foot community health center that would feature clinical space and partner with Coalition of OC Community Health Centers.

A $1.15 million annual base rent rising 2% annually over the lease’s 99-year lifespan would bring the district an estimated $307.5 million over the years.

District staffers said they intend to bring back to the board a detailed “short list” of developers and their proposals, but did not offer a timeframe at the meeting for when that presentation would happen.

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## Councilmember Carlos Franco Launches Re-Election Campaign, Invites Community to Kickoff Celebration

**BUENA PARK, Calif. — June 2026** — Buena Park Councilmember **Carlos Franco** has officially announced the launch of his re-election campaign, inviting residents, neighbors, and supporters to join him for a community campaign kickoff at **American Legion Post 354**.

The event will celebrate the beginning of Franco’s campaign for another term representing Buena Park’s District 2 while providing residents an opportunity to meet with the councilmember, learn about his vision for the city’s future, and discover ways to become involved in the campaign.

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# Campaign Kickoff v4

Guests can expect an evening of conversation, community, and civic engagement as volunteers, supporters, and local leaders gather to discuss the importance of neighborhood involvement in local government. The campaign is also actively recruiting volunteers and encouraging residents to display yard signs in support of Franco’s re-election effort.

First elected to the Buena Park City Council in 2024, Franco has focused his tenure on strengthening neighborhood partnerships, supporting small businesses, expanding youth engagement, improving public spaces, and fostering collaboration between residents, nonprofits, and local government.

For Franco, however, the campaign is about something larger than a single election.

_“Running for office has never been about holding a title,”_ Franco said. _“It’s about building a city where neighbors know one another, where businesses thrive, where young people believe they have a future here, and where every resident feels they have a voice in shaping Buena Park’s next chapter. Campaigns come and go, but community is something we build together every day.”_

Throughout his first term, Franco has emphasized a philosophy of civic participation, encouraging residents to become active partners in improving their neighborhoods through volunteerism, community service, and public engagement.

The campaign kickoff reflects that same spirit, inviting supporters not only to attend but to become part of the effort.

Residents interested in volunteering may assist with neighborhood outreach, community events, voter engagement, and campaign activities throughout the election season. Those wishing to show their support may also request a campaign yard sign to display at their home or business.

_“Every conversation, every volunteer hour, every yard sign, and every act of encouragement reminds people that local government begins with neighbors caring about one another,”_ Franco said. _“This campaign belongs to everyone who believes Buena Park’s best days are still ahead.”_

Community members interested in attending the kickoff celebration, volunteering, or requesting a yard sign are encouraged to connect with the campaign through its social media channels or speak with campaign volunteers at the event.

As the campaign officially begins, Franco says his message remains rooted in the same principle that inspired him to first seek public office: meaningful change happens when communities work together.

## Event Information

**Carlos Franco Re-Election Campaign Kickoff**

**Date:** June 25, 2026 **Time:** 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM **Location:** American Legion Post 354

**Buena Park, California**

Residents interested in volunteering or requesting a campaign yard sign are encouraged to attend or contact the campaign directly.

## About Carlos Franco

Carlos Franco serves on the Buena Park City Council representing District 2. His work has focused on community partnerships, economic development, youth leadership, neighborhood engagement, and strengthening Buena Park as a place where families, businesses, and nonprofits can thrive together.

## About Culture-Fluent

Culture-Fluent is Orange County’s community-driven advertising and media agency, helping organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies connect authentically with the communities they serve through strategic storytelling, marketing, public relations, and community engagement.

**Media Contact**

Culture-Fluent

media@culture-fluent.com

(833) 892-5617

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Rotary Secures $85K for Water Project in India

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Rotary Celebrates $85,321 Global Grant for Water Management Project in India International partnership…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Buena Park Noon Lions Club Hosts OCFA Disaster Preparedness Presentation

- cfrancohides - September 25, 2026

Buena Park Noon Lions Club Partners with Orange County Fire Authority to Promote Disaster Preparedness…

Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

#### Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino Community

- cfrancohides - September 6, 2026

Councilmember Carlos Franco Highlights Record of Advocacy for Buena Park’s Latino Community Social media post…

Continue Reading »

### _Related_

Carlos Franco Points to Record of Advocacy for Buena Park Latino CommunitySeptember 6, 2026In "Buena Park City Council"

World Cup Opening Ceremony Brings International Celebration to The Source OC in Buena ParkJune 12, 2026In "Buena Park community events"

Carlos Franco Installed as President of the Buena Park Rotary ClubJuly 21, 2026In "Buena Park community leaders"

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Hundreds of Disney cast members, community members, and union supporters gathered to advocate for higher wages and working conditions in Anaheim on July 18, 2024. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

It’s Labor Day, a time to recognize the contributions of workers in the broader economy, a key linchpin for bolstering quality of life across the United States.

The holiday also has become the official bookend to summer, a last chance for families to enjoy time together, often on vacation.

But when Congress set the holiday in 1894, national leaders were reacting to a series of strikes and job protests, a time where the hard edge of the industrial revolution was triggering intense questioning from workers about sharing the profits of capitalism.

Orange County witnessed similar questioning in 1936 with hundreds of Mexican citrus workers striking, and many getting arrested, during the historic confrontation between the county sheriff, labor activists and citrus growers.

The weekend. The eight-hour workday. Safe working conditions. Sick pay. Pensions. Unions. Health care.

Family vacations.

These kinds of benefits all stem from that period of intense labor unrest across America.

Yet the battle to keep them continues.

Here in Orange County, workers have in recent years seen historic confrontations with fights for better wages and health care at local hotels, theme parks, grocery markets, hospitals and city halls.

These battles come as the gap between CEO and worker pay is the biggest it’s ever been.

Grocery store employees who work in Orange County and parts of Los Angeles County rally outside a Ralphs grocery in Long Beach on March 15, 2022. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

A recent study found that between 2019 and 2024, CEOs at some of the lowest paying companies for workers saw their compensation more than double while worker wages stagnated.

That theme has played out locally in recent years across some of the region’s top employers with worker groups threatening strikes and in some cases hitting the streets to protest stale wages and benefits as well as the gap between bosses and workers.

“Over the past several years, workers in Orange County have seen big wins and have also been reminded of the hurdles faced by workers just to keep up,” said Tim Steed, assistant general manager at the Orange County Employees Association.

“Worker power builds through small actions—petitions, picket lines, city council speeches, or strikes,” Steed told me,”but it’s no small thing.”

Just this past week, nearly two dozen trade unions gathered at Knott’s Berry Farm – once a family owned business, but now part of the Six Flags theme park corporate family – to announce a historic coalition with the aim of representing every single worker at the theme park.

Gloria Alvarado on Aug. 20, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

“Knott Without Us,” was the slogan bringing all these groups together under the Orange County Labor Federation.

A press conference for the UniteKnotts Coalition on the corner of Western Ave. and Crescent Ave. in Buena Park on Aug. 20, 2025. UniteKnotts Coalition is a partnership of 23 trade organizations organizing Knott’s Berry Farm workers. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

“We know it develops better outcomes for them,” said Buena Park City Councilman Connor Traut, who is also running for county supervisor.

Buena Park Vice Mayor Connor Traut, left, speaks to Teamsters Local Union No. 495 Organizer Albert Flores, right, at a press conference for the UniteKnotts Coalition on Aug. 20, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

“It’s the power of collective bargaining, the power of people working together,” Traut said in an interview at the labor coalition rally in front of Knott’s.

Just this May, Kaiser mental health professionals across Southern California – represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers – ratified a four-year contract after a historic, 196-day strike secured wage gains, patient protections and a pension plan.

A month earlier in April, hundreds of unionized workers at UC Irvine medical centers – represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and University Professional and Technical Employees – staged a one-day strike, joining thousands of others across other campuses, to protest increasing health care costs and unfair bargaining tactics.

A Teamster bus rallies along Harbor Boulevard in Anaheim on July 17, 2024. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Last year, Disney workers geared up for a confrontation when labor groups threatened to strike as they pushed for better pay, seniority-based raises, better safety protocols and a more flexible attendance policy.

\ **_Read_**: [Disneyland Workers May Soon Strike at ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’\]

Yet a strike at “the Happiest Place on Earth” was avoided when members of the Master Services Council – a coalition of four unions representing 14,000 Disney workers – voted to approve a new three-year contract.

The agreement came on the heels of a historic city council approval of Disney Forward, that’s estimated to bring nearly $2 billion to Anaheim over the next decade – on par, officials said, with when Walt Disney himself showed up in Anaheim in the 1950s.

\ **_Read_**: [Anaheim Approves $2 Billion Disneyland Forward Expansion\]

While the three-year contract with Disney was hailed by local labor leaders, it seems weak compared to what similar workers get at parks in Europe.

\ **_Read_**: [Comparing Disneyland Labor Battles; Did Unions Cut a Good Deal in Anaheim?\]

The year before the Disney strike threats, local hotel workers did go on strike at 18 hotels across the region.

\ **_Read_**: [Southern California Hotel Workers Go on Strike For Better Pay\]

Just two days after contracts expired, workers walked out as they demanded $5 more an hour to help cover rising housing costs, kicking off the largest hotel strike in history.

“I couldn’t feel prouder,” said Ada Briceño, co-president of Unite Here 11, of the historic strike and the gains it produced.

Caption: Ada Briceño, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, during the May 3, 2023 press conference outside the Anaheim Hilton Hotel. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Briceño, who is also running for state assembly this year, said the recent labor actions around Orange County show the importance of standing up against what she called corporate pushbacks on working families.

“We know we have a role to play,” said Briceño of the labor movement, adding “I’m ready to fight.”

That vibe was present this summer as grocery workers geared up for a confrontation.

Union workers making picket signs, on July 29, 2025. Credit: ISABEL TORRES, Voice of OC

Just more than 20 years after the historic grocery strike in Southern California, earlier this summer, nearly 50,000 Southern California grocery workers voted to authorize a strike against Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs after months of what union officials say are unfair labor practices during contract negotiations.

\ **_Read_**: [Grocery Workers Across Southern California Prepared to Strike\]

Later, about 12,000 Stater Bros. workers across Southern California voted to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike, accusing the company of illegally surveilling, interrogating, and targeting union members, according to a news release on July 25.

It was the first time Stater Bros employees voted to authorize a strike. When the historic grocery strikes happened 20 years ago, Stater Bros. was the only unionized Southern California grocery chain that didn’t see its workers strike.

\ **_Read_**: [Grocery Union Gears Up For Potential Strike Against Stater Bros.\]

This year, grocery store strikes were averted after workers and company officials reached agreement.

Local public sector workers also have seen recent contract talks get ugly.

Credit: NORBERTO SANTANA, Voice of OC

Just a day before this month’s Knott’s labor announcement, public workers with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gathered in Anaheim to protest the recent passage of federal legislation – called the Big Beautiful Bill – that cut back public funding from local agencies and programs.

Garden Grove public works employees rally before heading into the city council meeting to urge officials to help break the contract negotiation impasse. Aug. 12, 2025. Credit: SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

This month, state mediators had to step into a tense labor negotiations stand off between Garden Grove City Council members and their public works crews, who are pushing for raises to help cushion the impact of inflation and rising healthcare costs.

Garden Grove public works employees rally ahead of the city council meeting on Aug. 12, 2025 after their union reached an impasse with the city on contact negotiations. Credit: SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

This year could also see tension at the county government, as most county labor unions – including the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs – have their contracts up for renewal.

### _Related_

## Norberto Santana Jr.Publisher

nsantana@voiceofoc.org

Norberto Santana, Jr. is an experienced investigative reporter, serving as founding publisher and editor-in-chief for Voice of OC, overseeing newsroom, engagement and fundraising operations.

He’s... More by Norberto Santana Jr.

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## Who’s Benefitting from the Special Interest Spending?

Most of that money has gone to support Pulido, who’s benefited from over $3.8 million in advertisements paid for by a series of political action committees.

The biggest spending came from a committee dubbed Grow California, which is primarily funded by two people – Christian Larsen, executive chairman of tech company Ripple, and Timothy Draper, founding and managing partner of venture capital firm Draper Associates.

Their political action committee disclosed over $1.6 million in spending to support Pulido’s campaign, including television ads, research and consulting.

The second largest spending came from the California Leads committee, which disclosed over $1.2 million in support for Pulido, with most of its funding coming from tech companies Google and Meta, the company behind Facebook.

Another committee named Citizens for An Affordable California Supporting Mark Pulido for Assembly spent another $642,000 supporting Pulido, with nearly all of its funding coming from AirBnB, along with a small donation from Laborers International Union of North America.

Another political action committee called Working Families and Small Businesses for Mark Pulido spent over $375,000 advertising Pulido, with most of its funding coming from two other committees.

Those political action committees are the CA Hotel and Lodging Association and the CA Alliance of Family Owned Businesses, two industry groups that advocate for hotels and large chain restaurants respectively.

Pulido’s own campaign account has spent over $436,000 since the start of last year, with around $110,000 still in the bank as of April 18, the most recent disclosure date.

## Special Interests Target Union Leader with Negative Ads

Spending didn’t stop at positive ads for Pulido.

The hotel and chain restaurants groups also donated to a committee called Working Families and Small Businesses Against Briceño, alongside another committee dubbed Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy.

The Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy committee also disclosed receiving money from groups including the Hotel and Lodging Association and restaurants like In-N-Out.

The Working Families and Small Businesses Against Briceño committee disclosed having spent over $217,000 against Briceño.

Another political action committee dubbed Advance California spent $700,000 on ads against Briceño, with most of its funding coming from the California Apartment Association committee.

The Citizens for an Affordable California political action committee funded by AirBnB also spent over $35,000 opposing Briceño’s candidacy.

Altogether, that’s around $952,000 in spending aimed directly against Briceño’s campaign.

Briceño’s biggest support comes from the Hawaiian Gardens Casino, which has spent over $221,000 advertising her according to campaign disclosures through their own political action committee.

Briceño’s campaign was also advertised by Unite Here Local 11, the union she helps run, which spent around $50,000 in support.

The California Working Families Party committee also spent around $12,000 supporting Briceño.

Altogether, that leaves Briceño with $283,000 in outside support against $952,000 in attack ads.

“The polling shows us in the lead and we’re going to continue to fight despite this horrific influx of money into our race,” Briceño said. “We are knocking on doors, we’re meeting voters where they’re at and speaking to them about what we’re going to do in Sacramento.”

Briceño’s own campaign committee has disclosed spending $474,000 since the start of 2025, and had another $267,000 in the bank as of April 18.

## Other Candidates Spend Without Special Interest Support

Ali Taj, a Pakistani immigrant and former mayor of Artesia whopicked up Quirk-Silva’s endorsement, has fundraised over half a million dollars since the start of 2025 and spent over $338,000 advertising his campaign.

Voice of OC did not locate any special interest or politicatal action committee spending supporting or opposing Taj.

The remaining candidates haven’t fundraised nearly as much.

Paulo Morales, a former Cypress police officer and city councilman, has spent around $25,000 for his race for assembly this year.

Paul Gonzales, a Buena Park resident and employee of the OC District Attorney, is entirely self-funded with $5,000 of his own money.

Realtor Adrian Oscar Ayub has disclosed less than $1,000 in fundraising.

_Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org._

### _Related_

## Noah BiesiadaCounty Reporter

nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org

Noah Biesiada serves as Voice of OC’s county reporter, covering the county board of supervisors and the $9 billion government they oversee.

Biesiada started as an intern in July 2019, helping launch... More by Noah Biesiada

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## E-bike Categorization in OC – Why Does it Matter?

Currently, state regulations put e-bikes into three categories: class ones are pedal-powered and go up to 20 miles per hour, class twos can be ridden without pedaling but only go up to 20 miles per hour, and class threes are similar to class ones but can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour.

Anyone can ride a class one or two bike without restrictions, but only those 16 or older can ride a class three bike and must wear a helmet.

If a bike goes over 28 miles per hour or lacks pedals, it could actually be considered a moped or motorcycle, which requires a drivers license to operate under state law.

“We are seeing a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks, and streets. Bike riders and parents: If your or your teen’s electric two-wheeled vehicle goes too fast, it might be a motorcycle or a moped — not an e-bike,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release in April.

State assembly members are also currently considering legislation which would require speedometers to be built into class two e-bikes after 2029 and enforce a 10 mile-per-hour speed limit on sidewalks.

Last month, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced the creation of a new unit to specifically review charges involving illegal e-bikes and e-motorcycles.

The creation of the division comes following the increase of child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter charges against parents after allowing their children to operate illegal e-bikes.

According to the news release, injuries related to e-bikes and e-motorcycles have gone up 430% over the past four years and that children between 11 and 14 made up 61.7% of crashes involving an e-motorcycle.

Parents who allow their children to operate e-bikes illegally – over speed limits, without proper protective equipment or education on applicable laws – can face child endangerment charges, under California law.

“The death and devastation caused by e-Bikes and E-Motorcycles has reached epidemic levels, and we as elected officials must do everything we can to save lives,” Spitzer wrote in the news release.

“If parents refuse to hold their children accountable, then I am going to hold parents accountable when they knowingly break the law.”

### _Related_

## Michelle KingTracy A. Wood Fellow

Michelle King joined the Tracy A. Wood Fellowship at Voice of OC in January 2026. The fellowship was founded by the friends and family of Voice of OC’s legendary civic editor to honor Tracy Wood’s... More by Michelle King

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The orange gate at the OC Fair on July 23, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

The Orange County Fair kicks off today amid higher prices, meaning it could cost a family of four nearly $70 for tickets and parking to enter the fair – prices that fairground officials say are needed to keep up with rising costs.

First held in 1890, the fair runs from until Aug. 16 and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

As the summer heat sets in, cities are increasingly grappling with teen takeovers – raucous parties fueled by social media posts.

In Newport Beach, city officials are mulling over tighter restrictions on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals after a teen takeover on the coast saw 400 people arrested during the Fourth of July weekend.

Just to the north, Huntington Beach officials are gearing up to prevent a teen takeover that’s apparently been making rounds on social media like Instagram – with the police department trying to avoid a repeat of a 2021 viral party known as Adrian’s Kickback.

Buena Park officials are trying to prevent a spontaneous takeover of Knott’s Berry Farm after the theme park’s seen numerous teen incidents over the years stemming from social media.

As cities throughout Orange County grapple with structural budget deficits, Placentia City Council members opted against leaning on reserves to patch the gap and instead rolled out a series of spending cuts, including laying off two employees.

Officials in Laguna Beach opted against asking voters to increase a series of taxes this November, instead shelving the proposals until 2028.

While cities grapple with deficits and look to prevent teen takeovers, the OC Board of Supervisors is on an unofficial summer vacation – prompting Voice of OC Publisher and Editor in Chief Norberto Santana Jr. to question how much county leaders work as they field part-time schedules for full-time pay.

Santana Jr. also points out how upcoming policy discussions were more transparent – through regular agenda posting – when the Board of Supervisors met weekly until 2016, with the shift to bi-weekly meetings leading to increased bureaucracy and overwhelmed agendas.

Mr. Gq, a 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat, licks his paws while eating treats in his kennel at OC Animal Care in Tustin on July 9, 2026. Credit: ANGELINA HICKS, Voice of OC

As supervisors vacation until next month, hundreds of pets – especially kittens – are available for adoption at OC Animal Care in Tustin. Shelter officials are reducing cat and kitten adoption fees to $100 in hopes of finding felines, like Mr. Gq, a home.

Yesterday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Costa Mesa for not having a “compliant” housing plan as some city council members say numerous housing developments have been approved and officials are filing documents to get a state-approved plan.

Meanwhile, a fatal rattlesnake bite in Irvine prompted local wildlife and public safety officials to highlight safe hiking routines as the heat draws out more snakes – reinforcing preventative measures like wearing boots and pants when hitting the wilderness.

While rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal, local officials say it’s a good idea to hike with a walking stick, carry a first aid kit and let people know where you’ll be hiking.

Students from Santa Ana College are competing in a NASA competition, showcasing their designs for  life support robots aimed at monitoring vital signs on astronauts and checking the quality of air in the spacecraft’s airlock.

Condo owners and apartment tenants in Santa Ana are the latest residents to raise parking concerns to their city council, with some calling for more permitted parking so they don’t have to walk blocks from their car when they get home from work.

Newport Beach City Council members decided to reduce affordable housing requirements from 15% to 6% of housing units built near John Wayne Airport – a move city officials say is needed to hit the city’s housing plan.

But state transportation officials and airport commissioners say the move doesn’t follow their guidelines and planning for the area.

Buena Park officials held a rare public discussion about crime trends with police officials, who said crime was down overall – mirroring statewide trends – but some crime in the city, like theft and rape, are on the upswing this year.

With crime on the decline across the region, officials in Cypress and Stanton are eying police drones to help officers scope out a situation before they get there and to help monitor events or assist in missing persons reports.

### _Related_

## Spencer CustodioCivic Editor

scustodio@voiceofoc.org

Spencer Custodio serves as Voice of OC’s civic editor. Like the other reporters, Custodio began as an intern – one of the news organization’s first in 2010.

Custodio was the lead writer during... More by Spencer Custodio

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A long exposure of nearby fireworks in Laguna Beach on July 4, 2024. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

The Fourth of July can feel like a “war zone” for some neighborhoods in OC.

It’s a term residents and at least one elected official in cities like Anaheim and Santa Ana have used to describe the rampant barrage of illegal fireworks on Independence Day that leave the sky blanketed in smoke.

“During this time of year, it’s the number one complaint I think that we all get,” said Anaheim City Councilwoman Norma Campos Kurtz at last week’s city council meeting.

“I’ve got residents who say my neighborhood’s a war zone.”

On the eve of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration, police and fire officials in Anaheim are gearing up to crack down on the use of illegal fireworks as Cypress officials are expected to crack down on pyrotechnics in a town that has outright banned even safe and sane fireworks.

Last week, Cypress Councilwoman Bonnie Peat successfully suggested bringing back a social host ordinance allowing a property owner to be fined for having illegal fireworks – mirroring moves by cities like Anaheim, Fullerton and Stanton.

Peat said fireworks are a year round problem in the city that deter the quality of life for residents and startle pets and is a fire risk and.

She suggested city officials implement a social host ordinance similar to Buena Park’s regulations and potentially use drones to help enforce it.

“It’s not that we want to issue fines. Honestly, we just want it to stop. We just want to deter and get rid of these things so we don’t end up having a major injury or a house that catches on fire or someone has a heart attack as a result of fireworks going off,” Peat said at the June 9 council meeting.

A majority of her colleagues expressed hesitation about bringing back an ordinance, instead suggesting they debate the issue further – but council members ultimately voted 4-0-1 to direct staff to draft the proposed law.

Mayor Leo Medrano abstained from the vote, arguing there needed to be greater discussion on the proposal, that the city doesn’t have drones and other cities are going back and forth on their social host laws to crack down on fireworks.

“If you read the Voice of OC and other ones, you’ll see that this is a much needed discussion but no one’s sure exactly how to skin this cat,” Medrano said.

Medrano added that neighboring cities allow safe and sane fireworks and suggested frustrated Cypress residents bring up the concerns with those elected leaders and Orange County Supervisors – who govern unincorporated territory – and call on them to ban all fireworks.

“Perhaps the better course of action will be concerned citizens going to those city council meetings,” he said. “Or maybe it’s rather something that needs to be handled at the Orange County level.”

In recent years, cities across the region like Anaheim, Orange, Fullerton, Stanton and Buena Park have implemented social host ordinance in an effort to crack down on illegal fireworks with hefty fines.

\ **_Read:_** [More Orange County Cities Look to Beef Up Fireworks Bans\]

Other cities like Placentia, Irvine, Laguna Beach and La Habra have outright banned all fireworks in the city.

## Independence Day: Anaheim Preps For The Fourth

Fireworks are set off in Orange County on Thursday, June 4, 2024. Credit: MAXIMO SANTANA Voice of OC.

Last Tuesday, police and fire officials publicly presented their strategy to combat the use of illegal fireworks in Orange County’s largest city through the use of more police officers, firefighters, code enforcement and park rangers to enforce fireworks from now through the July 4th weekend.

“It won’t solve everything. We know that,” said interim city manager Greg Garcia

“Unfortunately, we’re already seeing and hearing fireworks in our neighborhoods, but we are significantly increasing our efforts with the goal of seeing more citations for violations and sending a clear message to those who choose to use illegal fireworks in our community,” Garcia said.

Police Lieutenant Jimmy Rodriguez said it has been hard to enforce illegal firework laws and the department averages a high number of calls on Independence Day over the past 6 years  – about 300 or more each Fourth of July.

“We’ve seen some enforcement issues with our non-sworn staff facing hostility, unruly crowds, and in some instances, assaults,” he said, adding this year the holiday lands on a Saturday.

This year, Rodriguez said they will have 15 officers dedicated to fireworks enforcement while 90 officers will be out on patrol.

He added officers will also be using drones ahead of the holiday.

“We’re going to issue citations, we’re going to confiscate illegal fireworks and we’re going to identify and respond to any and all fire threats,” Rodriguez said, adding they have already started enforcement and issued two citations as of June 9.

City spokesman Mike Lyster said last year they didn’t issue any citations for illegal fireworks and just gave warnings – but that approach is changing this year.

“Sadly, each year we see rampant illegal fireworks that were never meant to be part of this holiday,” he said. “We are in a new period now and we have a new approach this year. We’ve shared with you a new resolve.”

## Will Anaheim Ban Safe and Sane Fireworks After the Fourth?

A fireworks stand in Huntington Beach on June 20, 2020. Huntington Beach has a “safe and sane” fireworks ordinance that allows the sale of fireworks. A ban on fireworks in La Habra and La Palma will remain. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Anaheim allows the sale and use of safe and sane fireworks with eight high schools and eight nonprofits permitted stands to sell the fireworks for fundraising efforts

Lyster said each booth can generate anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000.

Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava questioned if it was time the city outright banned safe and sane fireworks in Anaheim to help curb the use of illegal fireworks.

“TNT has actually said to us – ‘well, you’ll hurt your constituents because of the fundraising,’ but I mean, if we educate a lot of these nonprofits, the amount of time and energy spent to sell these fireworks does not benefit them or the kids,” she said.

“It is something that I would probably be interested in exploring after Fourth of July to see how this goes.”

Councilman Carlos Leon said the booths help raise money for students to attend tournaments.

“For some groups, this is the big fundraiser of the year,” he said.

Leon also pointed to the death of 8-year-old Jasmine Nguyen, an Anaheim resident, who was killed in an illegal fireworks explosion last Fourth of July in Buena Park, as a reminder to residents to be responsible and to help keep each other safe.

“Jasmine’s family experienced an unimaginable loss on what should have otherwise been a celebratory day,” he said.

“As we approach another Fourth of July to all of our residents, I hope that we carry that perspective with us, and that her memory encourages all of us to watch out.”

_Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at_ _helattar@voiceofoc.org_ _._

### _Related_

## Hosam ElattarReporter

helattar@voiceofoc.org

Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.

Elattar... More by Hosam Elattar

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Buena Park police. Credit: VOICE OF OC.

This week, Buena Park residents got a rare public glimpse of the amount of crimes that occurred in their city this year so far – like theft, burglary and stolen vehicles.

Police officials shared information openly with city council members and residents about the crime trends in the city – a report that is rarely given publicly in cities across the county despite local officials allocating large portions of cities’ budgets to their police departments.

On Tuesday, Buena Park Interim Police Chief Bradley Geyer said that crime for the most part has been on a downward trend – mirroring statewide statistics.

“Overall, crime has been trending down, and that’s throughout the region, not just Buena Park. But not every crime is going down, but most crimes are on the downward trend, roughly 15 to 20% down year to year,” he said at the city council meeting.

According to Geyer’s report, there have been 637 reported larceny thefts, 88 reported stolen vehicles, 48 burglaries, 39 aggravated assaults, 34 robberies and 14 rapes between January and the end of June of this year.

Between January and the end of June 2025, there were 623 reported larceny thefts, 125 stolen vehicles, 83 burglaries, 57 aggravated assaults, 20 robberies and 8 rapes, according to the report.

Councilwoman Joyce Ahn, who requested the crime report, called on the police chief to continue to give public updates on crime in the city regularly at public meetings.

“As long as we have some reports available to the public during the council meeting and share and discuss some of the happenings out there, especially with follow-ups on closing some robbery cases or any difficult cases in the future, I’m sure we can share more stories with the public on how well we’re doing and how the Measure R (sales tax) money is spent,” she said at the July 14 meeting.

“I just want to make sure that we’re looking at the numbers constantly and that we are planning and taking some actions to prevent or to respond to these types of new crimes that are happening.”

Ahn’s request comes about two years after voters approved Measure R – a 1% sales tax hike to generate $20 million to be used in part to hire more police officers and address property crime.

\ **_Read:_** [Boosted by Sales Tax Hike, Buena Park Looks to Hire More Police Officers\]

According to the city’s adopted budget, about 42% of the over $100 million general fund is going to the city’s police department for 2026-27 fiscal year. The general fund is a city’s most flexible pool of money and pays for most direct services for residents – police, fire, libraries, parks, recreation and a host of other services.

Councilman Carlos Franco said while elected leaders regularly get updates on crime, it is also important that residents are able to view and understand the crime trends, asking whether the data could be published online as opposed to having regular updates at city council meetings.

“I’m curious, Mr. City Manager, if there’s an opportunity to explore maybe even publicizing some of these stats – whatever can be publicized not to its full extent – so that maybe residents could go on a website and view these things, as opposed to having Chief come out and give these reports on a regular basis,” he asked.

Police post crime statistics for Part 1 Crimes – violent and property crimes – on their website, but as of Wednesday morning the website was only showing crime stats for the first three months of 2026.

The website also links a crime map allowing residents to look up reported crimes in their neighborhoods.

Police officers are expected to give a comprehensive report on crime to council members in October.

## Crime Rates & Response Times

The Buena Park entertainment corridor on Beach Boulevard. Credit: NATALIE CARTWRIGHT, Voice of OC

This year so far, Geyer said the city has a Part 1 crime rate of about 10 incidents per 1,000 residents.

Part 1 Crimes include aggravated assault, rape, homicide, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, robbery and burglary.

“Buena Park is kind of like middle of the road average. A little bit higher nationwide with property crimes, a little bit lower with violent crime, but overall we kind of fall in the middle as far as where we stand with the rest of the country with crime,” Geyer said.

He added that by the end of the year the rate would probably increase to about 20 incidents per 1,000 residents.

According to Geyer’s presentation, Part 1 crimes have occurred most frequently this year so far in District 3 of the city – which encompasses Knott’s Berry Farm and a chunk of Beach Blvd and is represented by Councilwoman Susan Sonne – with 240 incidents.

Geyer said the average response time for priority one calls that require officers to turn on their lights and sirens is down by 20 seconds this year so far compared to the same time period last year dropping from three minutes 42 seconds to three minutes 20 seconds.

## Tackling The Trends

Ahn questioned how officers would address the high number of car thefts in the city.

Geyer said stealing cars is one of the easiest crimes to commit.

“It’s very difficult to catch those in progress. So a lot of the time we have to rely on DNA collection, fingerprints, and you know, a lot of times people will leave their property in the car and make it easy. So sometimes they don’t even lock the car,” he said.

“If there’s a certain area where we’re having a problem, we can dedicate more resources to do surveillance. We have a fantastic auto theft detective who’s constantly out there working these cases and recovering cars. We actually recover most of the cars that get stolen, whether they’re occupied or not.”

Sonne raised concerns about the number of reported rapes going up in the city – with 16 total last year and 14 so far this year – and call for more information how violent crimes are handled by the police department and how rape reports are handled.

“With something like rape, I would want to know – do you see like a specific location where something may be happening more often?  Do we need better lighting in a particular area or do we need more patrols in a particular area?” she said.

“I’d like to see some analysis of where you see we can be more proactive in preventing these kinds of things from occurring.”

_Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at_ _helattar@voiceofoc.org_ _._

### _Related_

## Hosam ElattarReporter

helattar@voiceofoc.org

Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.

Elattar... More by Hosam Elattar

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The seal of the city of Cypress, Calif. sits inside the Cypress Community Center on Sept. 7, 2022. It represents the four characteristics of Cypress; education, business and industry, churches, and residences.

Police and city officials across Orange County have been gearing up to crack down on the use of illegal fireworks like Roman Candles, mortars and M-80s on the eve of America’s 250th birthday this Saturday.

Leading up to the country’s semiquincentennial, officials across the region have been ramping up local fireworks laws, namely adopting social host ordinances – regulations allowing a home owner to be fined for the use of illegal fireworks on their property.

These new rules have been implemented in places like Anaheim, Fullerton, Orange, Buena Park and Stanton to deter the use of pyrotechnics with hefty fines.

In a different approach, cities like Placentia, Irvine, Laguna Beach and La Habra have outright banned all fireworks in the city.

Meanwhile in Santa Ana, possession of illegal fireworks can result in a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

Last week, officials in Cypress – a town where all fireworks are outlawed – voted unanimously to move forward with implementing their own social host fireworks ordinance based on Buena Park’s version just over a week before Independence Day.

The ordinance won’t go into effect until finalized after the Fourth of July holiday.

Councilwoman Bonnie Peat proposed the ordinance last month and said the law was about protecting the quality of life for residents and their pets and public safety.

“Any fireworks, by the way, can cause a fire or property damage, create a significant amount of noise and disturbance and injury,” Peat said at the June 9 council meeting.

“There’s one thing about the Fourth of July – and I don’t say this lightly –  you can drug your animal, you know it’s coming. You can give them some kind of sedative to prepare them for the noise or put them in a place where it’s not noisy. You can’t do that if it happens to happen on August 15 at 7 p.m. at night.”

Councilman David Burke said without getting drones out to enforce fireworks regulations, the new law won’t make much of a difference.

“We have had tough laws in place. The hard part is just the reality of catching someone in the act and that’s a challenge. No matter what your penalties are, no matter what ordinance you have,” he said at the June 23 meeting.

The expected law comes after the death of an 8-year-old Anaheim resident, who was killed in an illegal fireworks explosion last Fourth of July in Buena Park.

City Attorney William Wynder said even with the current ban on fireworks, there has been a pattern of “scofflaws” ignoring fireworks regulations.

“The penalty provisions we are suggesting to the council are administrative fines; they are not criminal penalties. They are designed to deter wrongful conduct, not to punish individuals who engage in wrongful conduct, other than in their pocketbook,” Wynder said at the June 23 meeting.

The new ordinance could potentially have fines that range from $2,000 to $6,000 depending on the number of violations.

Wynder said if the ordinance is finalized, they wouldn’t be fining people right away and would focus on educating residents on the law first.

“We’re not trying to raise money through this ordinance, we’re trying to encourage obedience to a longstanding existing law,” he said.

Amid the crackdown, cities across Orange County are hosting their own fireworks shows to celebrate Fourth of July this weekend.

\ **_Read:_** [Where to See Fireworks in Orange County on the Fourth of July\]

At the same time, police officials in cities like Cypress and Anaheim have established plans for how they will enforce firework laws in the days leading up to the holiday and the holiday itself.

\ **_Read:_** [Orange County Gears up For Illegal Fireworks Ahead of America’s 250th Birthday\]

Cypress Police Chief Mark Lauderback said this year his department will be taking an aggressive approach to enforcing the city’s fireworks ban, cancelling off days for officers on the Fourth of July and having four police officers solely dedicated to firework calls.

“We’re out doing undercover operations, undercover stings, working with our partnering cities that have had habitual offenders, learning where they’re normally hanging out at or selling these illegal fireworks at, so we can hopefully catch them in the act,” Lauderback said at the meeting.

Lauderback added they will take a zero tolerance approach to people lighting illegal fireworks and mortars and an educational approach to people using safe and sane fireworks – which are also banned in Cypress.

He also said people used to have to drive down to Mexico to get illegal fireworks but nowadays people can get them from Arizona and other states without having to go through checkpoints.

“They’re being sold in different states that are legal, and people are bringing them back into California, larger quantities than we’ve seen in the past,” he said.

“We’ve now seen the bigger influx of these illegal fireworks coming into our communities.”

_Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org._

### _Related_

## Hosam ElattarReporter

helattar@voiceofoc.org

Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.

Elattar... More by Hosam Elattar

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Freedom Hall in Fountain Valley has been set up by the American Red Cross as a shelter for evacuees on May 23, 2026. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Tens of thousands of residents across Garden Grove, Anaheim, Westminster, Buena Park, Cypress and Stanton were allowed to return home after they were forced to evacuate ahead of Memorial Day weekend due to a faulty chemical tank that almost exploded in North OC.

A bulk of those residents were allowed to return home on Memorial Day after firefighters verified a crack in the tank and that its internal temperature was dropping.

Evacuations were lifted for the remaining 16,000 residents from Garden Grove and Stanton a day later – seemingly ending the emergency phase of the crisis.

The chemical tank crisis has triggered a series of questions about the effectiveness of state and regional regulatory agencies on overseeing the storing of toxic chemicals in local neighborhoods, driving state and federal legislators from OC to call for better oversight rules.

Amid calls for greater regulations, State Senators approved a bill introduced by Democrat Catherine Blakespear to reverse exemptions for industrial businesses from major environmental regulations.

The tens of thousands of residents and the thousands of business owners impacted by the evacuations may soon get some reimbursement or compensation through a claim process but local officials have yet to hash out the details on when or how that would roll out.

Several officials are recommending residents keep track of their losses and expenses and contact their insurance companies.

In the wake of the crisis, OC Supervisors and officials in a few of the impacted cities including Garden Grove, Stanton, Anaheim and Westminster are ratifying a local emergency over the faulty tank with residents and city officials demanding accountability and reparations for those affected.

Residents and local activists lambasted Garden Grove elected leaders at a tense and highly contentious city council meeting this week for their response to the crisis.

A host of residents also raised concerns about poor communication from public safety officials regarding the emergency and a lack of updates as the crisis unfolded.

Beyond the crisis, Orange County residents paid tribute to the Americans who gave their lives defending the U.S. on Memorial Day through ceremonies, flag displays, reenactments and live music performances across the region.

State Veteran Affairs officials announced a comprehensive study for a long-awaited veterans cemetery at Gypsum Canyon in Anaheim was completed – marking a key step forward on OC’s first final resting place for vets.

Meanwhile, Orange County’s government-funded domestic violence agencies are still facing uncertainty about how to continue providing services to survivors amid political shakeups and the trickle-down of federal funding cuts.

_Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org._

### _Related_

## Hosam ElattarReporter

helattar@voiceofoc.org

Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.

Elattar... More by Hosam Elattar

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